Finances

How to spell finances

8 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce finances

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does finances mean?

1. nounThe money resources, income, and funds of a person, organisation, or government.

Finances in a sentence

• The couple reviewed their finances before applying for a mortgage.

• A sudden redundancy put a real strain on the family finances.

Where does finances come from?

Language of origin: French

The word traces back to the Latin finis, which literally meant 'an end' or 'a boundary', and by extension 'a settlement' or 'a payment that ends a debt'. In medieval Latin finare came to mean 'to settle or pay up', and Old French developed finance to mean a payment, a ransom, or the management of money. English borrowed the singular finance in the 1300s, at first meaning the ending or settling of a debt, before it broadened to mean the management of large sums and public revenue. The plural finances, meaning the money resources of a person, business, or state, became common in this modern sense around the eighteenth century. The same finis root sits inside everyday words such as 'finish', 'final', and 'fine' (a penalty that settles a wrong), which is a useful reminder that the spelling keeps the plain 'fin' opening and the soft 'c' before the ending.

How the word is built

• fin (from Latin finis: end, settlement)
• -ance (noun suffix)
• -s (plural)