finance

Meaning

Noun

1. The management of money and other assets.
2. The science of management of money and other assets.
3. Monetary resources, especially those of a public entity or a company.
4. 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.

Verb

1. To conduct, or procure money for, financial operations; manage finances.
2. (obsolete) To pay ransom.
3. To manage financially; be financier for; provide or obtain funding for a transaction or undertaking.
4. (obsolete) To extort ransom from.

Synonyms

fund

economy

finances

subsidize

financing

sponsor

bankroll

invest

support

back

🔙

accommodation

account

banking

contribute

financier

money

💸

pay for

public finance

economics

funding

make an accommodation

allow temporary credit

funds

income

indemnify

insure

business

investment

keep going

lending

management of resources

put up money

patronize

pay

💸

make an investment

paymaster

promote

public economy

monetary matters

ready money

reckoning

remunerate

bill

stake

accountant

absorb

treasurer

treasury

underwrite

financial affairs

monetary circulation

budget

compensate

expenditures

commit

financial

financial means

put money into

commercial

capitalize

Hyphenated as

fi‧nance

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈfaɪnæns/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: finaunce

Cognate with English: fine

In summary

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 c. 1400 was “ending”. Sense of “ending/satisfying a debt” came from French influence: in sense of “ransom” mid 15th century, in sense of “taxation” late 15th century. In sense of “manage money” first recorded 1770.