cash

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈkash How to pronounce cash (audio)
Synonyms of cash
1
: ready money
2
: money or its equivalent (such as a check) paid for goods or services at the time of purchase or delivery

cash

2 of 4

adjective

: being a method of accounting that includes as income only what has been received and as expenses only those paid compare accrual

cash

3 of 4

verb

cashed; cashing; cashes

transitive verb

1
: to pay or obtain cash for
cash a check
2
: to lead and win a bridge trick with (a card that is the highest remaining card of its suit)
cashable
ˈka-shə-bəl How to pronounce cash (audio)
adjective

cash

4 of 4

noun (2)

plural cash
1
: any of various coins of small value in China and southern India
especially : a Chinese coin with a square hole in the center
2
: a unit of value equivalent to one cash

Illustration of cash

Illustration of cash
  • 4cash 1

Synonyms of cash

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Noun (1)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of cash in a Sentence

Noun (1) went to the ATM to get more cash Verb The store wouldn't cash the check. He cashed his paycheck at the bank.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
High gas prices from the Iran-Israel War also may spur some drivers to ditch their cars for a while and save cash by avoiding the gas pump. — Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026 Tiffany, who had 10-times more cash on hand than either Hong or Crowley did entering August, has portrayed the race as a contest between chaos and common sense. — ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
Adjective
Part of the loss was a one-off, a $328 million non-cash accounting charge tied to the fair-value treatment of convertible preferred shares, a technical adjustment that converts investor stock into ordinary shares once a company lists. — Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 Note that the Packers’ operating loss does include tens of millions of dollars in non-cash charges tied to depreciation. — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 24 July 2026
Verb
Police allege Merriweather made four checks from her account payable to him over a period of several days and cashed them at a First National Bank in New Kensington. — Chris Hoffman, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026 For years, China’s AI race was dominated by a quest for market share at all costs, to the point that companies gave away tech, shopping vouchers, and even cash to attract users. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for cash

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

modification of Middle French or Old Italian; Middle French casse money box, from Old Italian cassa, from Latin capsa chest — more at case

Noun (2)

Portuguese caixa, from Tamil kācu, a small copper coin, from Sanskrit karṣa, a weight of gold or silver

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1913, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1811, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cash was in 1596

Phrases Containing cash

Rhymes for cash

See All Rhymes for cash

Browse Nearby Words

caseworm
cash
cash account
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cash. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

cash

1 of 2 noun
ˈkash How to pronounce cash (audio)
1
: money in the form of coins or bills
2
: money or its equivalent (as a check) paid for goods at the time of purchase or delivery

cash

2 of 2 verb
: to pay or obtain cash for
cash a check
Etymology

Noun

from early French casse or early Italian cassa, both meaning "money box," from Latin capsa "chest, box" — related to case entry 2

Legal Definition

cash

noun
1
: ready money
2
: money or its equivalent (as a check) paid for goods or services at the time of purchase or delivery

More from Merriam-Webster on cash

Nglish: Translation of cash for Spanish Speakers

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