pound sterling

American

noun

pound.

pound sterling British

noun

the official name for the standard monetary unit of the United Kingdom See pound 3

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of pound sterling

First recorded in 1625–35

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Western, a Labour MP, said political parties should have to convert the donation to pounds sterling within 48 hours, and called for a ban on donations where the ultimate donor had been obscured.

From BBC

After overwhelming demand for its $20 billion U.S. dollar bond issue Monday Alphabet sought to diversify its borrowing profile Tuesday by launching bond offerings in pounds sterling and Swiss franc.

From MarketWatch

Judge Lady Ross KC said although the sums of money stolen were not great, the seriousness of the crimes "could not be measured in pounds sterling."

From BBC

They would pay each other using traditional currency, like the pound sterling or US dollar.

From BBC

They also found two bags filled with pound sterling bank notes.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023