# finance

> English word · Noun · IPA /fɪˈnæns/ · frequency rank #2,252

## Definitions
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.

## Etymology
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 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.

## Easily confused with
- **France** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/finance-vs-france)
- **finances** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/finance-vs-finances)
- **financier** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/finance-vs-financier)
- **finale** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/finale-vs-finance)
- **fiancé** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fiance-vs-finance)
- **fiancée** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fiancee-vs-finance)

## Common misspellings (11)
`ffinance`, `fiannce`, `finacne`, `financce`, `finanec`, `finannce`, `finence`, `finnace`, `finnance`, `fniance`, `ifnance`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/finance