foreign exchange

noun

1
: a process of settling accounts or debts between persons residing in different countries
2
: foreign currency or current short-term credit instruments payable in such currency

Examples of foreign exchange in a Sentence

Our country has to export more in order to earn more foreign exchange.
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.
While renewable generation costs are broadly competitive, consumers ultimately bear the burden of financing costs, transmission and distribution losses, taxes, and foreign exchange movements. — ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026 The dollar’s dominance will erode more rapidly, with its share of global foreign exchange reserves perhaps falling below 50 percent as bilateral currency arrangements proliferate and the pricing of commodities diversifies. — Mark Leonard, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 Travelers looking to exchange currency before or during their trip can explore TD’s foreign exchange services — available to TD Bank clients with a deposit account and a debit card — to buy and sell a broad range of foreign currencies. — Td Bank, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026 Currency traders watch monitors at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul. — Lisa Kim,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for foreign exchange

Word History

First Known Use

1623, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of foreign exchange was in 1623

Rhymes for foreign exchange

See All Rhymes for foreign exchange

Browse Nearby Words

foreigner
foreign exchange
foreign factor
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Foreign exchange.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foreign%20exchange. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on foreign exchange

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about foreign exchange

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