finance
/fɪˈnæns/ noun, verb
Forms finances financing financed
- noun The management of money and other assets.
- noun The science of management of money and other assets.
- noun (usually in the plural) Monetary resources, especially those of a public entity or a company. “Who's really in charge of a democracy's finances?”
- noun 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. “Finance on all our new cars is provided by ABC Loans Ltd.”
- verb (intransitive) To conduct, or procure money for, financial operations; manage finances.
- verb (intransitive, obsolete) To pay ransom.
- verb (transitive) To manage financially; be financier for; provide or obtain funding for a transaction or undertaking. “His parents financed his college education.”
- verb (transitive, obsolete) To extort ransom from.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English finaunce, fynaunce, 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.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The income of a ruler or of a state; revennue; public money; sometimes, the income of an individual; often used in the plural for funds; available money; resources.
- noun The science of raising and expending the public revenue. "Versed in the details of finance." Macaulay.
Etymology [F., fr. LL. financia payment of money, money, fr. finare to pay a fine or subsidy (cf. OF. finer to finish, pay), fr. L. finis end. See Fine, n., Finish.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “finance”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details