What does "mint" mean?
A building or institution where money (originally, only coins) is produced under government licence.
Mint
/mɪnt/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A building or institution where money (originally, only coins) is produced under government licence.
- Grammar: mint is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: aim, armory, arsenal, assembly line.
- Useful contrasts: bland, copy, damaged.
- Usage evidence: Excuse me, I'd like two regular size cones - one with chocolate mint, and the other with orange sherbet, please.
How to use "mint"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "mint" 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 "mint" 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 "mint" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "mint" 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 "mint" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang 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 "aim" 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 "mint", 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 A building or institution where money (originally, only coins) is produced under government licence.
- 2 Any plant in the genus Mentha in the family Lamiaceae, typically aromatic with square stems. countable, uncountable
- 3 An intent, a purpose; an attempt, a try; an effort, an endeavor. Northern-England, Scotland
- 4 a plant where money is coined by authority of the government wordnet
- 5 A vast sum of money; (by extension) a large amount of something. informal
"That house is worth a mint."
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 The flavoring of the plant, either a sweet, a jelly or sauce. countable, uncountable
- 7 a candy that is flavored with a mint oil wordnet
- 8 Any place regarded as a source of unlimited supply; the supply itself. figuratively
"A mint of phrases in his brain."
- 9 A green color, like that of mint. countable, uncountable
- 10 the leaves of a mint plant used fresh or candied wordnet
- 11 A mint-flavored candy, often eaten to sweeten the smell of the breath. countable, uncountable
- 12 any member of the mint family of plants wordnet
- 13 any north temperate plant of the genus Mentha with aromatic leaves and small mauve flowers wordnet
- 14 (often followed by ‘of’) a large number or amount or extent wordnet
Verb
- 1 To reproduce (coins), usually en masse, under licence. transitive
"For some time past the legal currency in the various Provinces has been insufficient for use. Formerly the two Provinces of Fuchien and Kuangtung minted some large, round copper coins of excellent workmanship that were said, by the people after they were put into circulation, to be convenient."
- 2 To try, attempt; take aim. Northern-England, Scotland, intransitive
- 3 form by stamping, punching, or printing wordnet
- 4 To invent; to forge; to fabricate; to fashion.
"Titles […] as may appeare to be easily minted"
- 5 To try, attempt, endeavor; to take aim at; to try to hit; to purpose. Northern-England, Scotland, transitive
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To create a crypto token. transitive
"Beeple’s collaged JPG was made, or “minted,” in February as a “nonfungible token,” or NFT."
- 7 To hint; suggest; insinuate. Scotland, intransitive
Adjective
- 1 Ellipsis of mint condition: like new. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, not-comparable
"Most of my collection is near mint, but these ones here are mint."
- 2 Of a green color, like that of the mint plant. not-comparable
- 3 In near-perfect condition; uncirculated. not-comparable
- 4 Unused with original gum; as issued originally. not-comparable
- 5 Very good, excellent. Geordie, Northern-England, not-comparable, slang
"And my God, what a house it was – it was mint! In all my life I had never set foot in such a beautiful place."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Attractive; beautiful; handsome. Australia, Ireland, New-Zealand, UK, not-comparable, slang
Adjective
- 1 as if new wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 Acronym of Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, Turkey. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Excuse me, I'd like two regular size cones - one with chocolate mint, and the other with orange sherbet, please."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "mint"?
Common synonyms include: aim, armory, arsenal, assembly line, assembly plant, atomic energy plant.
How do you use "mint" in a sentence?
Excuse me, I'd like two regular size cones - one with chocolate mint, and the other with orange sherbet, please.
How do you pronounce "mint"?
Pronounced /mɪnt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English mynt, münet (“money, coin”), from Old English mynet (“coin”), from late Proto-West Germanic *munit, from Latin monēta (“place for making coins, coined money”), from the temple of Juno Moneta (named for Monēta mother of the Muses), where coins were made. Doublet of money and manat. The verb is from the noun; Old English mynetian (“to mint”) is a parallel formation.
Etymology 2
From Middle English mynte, from Old English minte (“mint plant”), from Proto-West Germanic *mintā (“mint”), from Latin menta, probably from a lost Mediterranean language either through Ancient Greek μίνθη (mínthē), μίνθα (míntha) or directly. Akin to Old Norse minta (“mint”). Doublet of mentha.
Etymology 3
From Middle English minten, from Old English myntan (“to mean, intend, purpose, determine, resolve”), from Proto-West Germanic *muntijan (“to think, consider”), from Proto-Indo-European *men-, *mnā- (“to think”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian mintsje, muntsje (“to aim, target”), Dutch munten (“to aim at, target”), German Low German münten (“to aim at”), German münzen (“to aim at”), Dutch monter (“cheerful, gladsome, spry”), Gothic 𐌼𐌿𐌽𐍃 (muns, “thought, opinion”), Old English munan (“to be mindful of, consider, intend”). More at mind.