What does "finance" mean?
The management of money and other assets.
Finance
/fɪˈnæns/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The management of money and other assets.
- Grammar: finance is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: accounting, acknowledge, afford, afford support.
- Useful contrasts: debt, defund, insolvency.
- Usage evidence: Service industries include communication, transportation, distribution, finance and a host of other areas which do not involve production of goods.
How to use "finance"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "finance" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "finance" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "finance" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "finance" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "finance" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accounting" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "finance", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The management of money and other assets. countable, uncountable
"And statesmen as well ought to know these things; for a state is often as much in want of money and of such devices for obtaining it as a household, or even more so; hence some public men devote themselves entirely to finance."
- 2 the commercial activity of providing funds and capital wordnet
- 3 The science of management of money and other assets. countable, uncountable
- 4 the management of money and credit and banking and investments wordnet
- 5 Monetary resources, especially those of a public entity or a company. countable, plural-normally, uncountable
"Who's really in charge of a democracy's finances?"
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 the branch of economics that studies the management of money and other assets wordnet
- 7 The provision of a loan, payment instalment terms, or similar arrangement, to enable a customer to purchase an item without paying the full amount straight away. countable, uncountable
"Finance on all our new cars is provided by ABC Loans Ltd."
Verb
- 1 To conduct, or procure money for, financial operations; manage finances. intransitive
- 2 obtain or provide money for wordnet
- 3 To pay ransom. intransitive, obsolete
- 4 sell or provide on credit wordnet
- 5 To manage financially; be financier for; provide or obtain funding for a transaction or undertaking. transitive
"His parents financed his college education."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To extort ransom from. obsolete, transitive
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Service industries include communication, transportation, distribution, finance and a host of other areas which do not involve production of goods."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "finance"?
Common synonyms include: accounting, acknowledge, afford, afford support, afforded, affording.
How do you use "finance" in a sentence?
Service industries include communication, transportation, distribution, finance and a host of other areas which do not involve production of goods.
How do you pronounce "finance"?
Pronounced /fɪˈnæns/.
Etymology
From Middle English finaunce, from Anglo-Norman, Middle French finance, from finer (“to pay ransom”) (whence also English fine (“to pay a penalty”)), from fin (“end”), from Latin fīnis. Original English sense that appeared c. 1400 was “ending”. The sense of “ending or satisfying a debt” originated from French influence: in the sense of “ransom” appeared in the mid 15th century, in the sense of “taxation” appeared in the late 15th century. In the sense of “manage money” first recorded c. 1770.