dollars

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "dollars" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to money, or when you need to quantify a particular payment amount. For example, "He was paid 500 dollars for completing the project."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Others made millions of dollars making him richer.

The New York Times

The number of boarding groups began to resemble something like a caste system; "change fees," which have always been outrageous, grew higher (two hundred dollars for domestic, three hundred dollars for international), while baggage fees soared to as high as a hundred dollars.

The Economist

Revelations that Michael Jordan had lost hundreds of thousands of dollars gambling barely dented his appeal, since the story reinforced the image of him as a fierce competitor.

The Economist

There is no love lost between the Farc and the US: Washington put the guerrilla group on its list of terrorist organizations in 1997 and poured billions of dollars of military aid into a campaign to defeat them.

The Guardian

The equivalent of one in every five dollars of revenues at Chevron was poured back into capital projects last year, totalling $37.1bn.

The Guardian

Related: Great Barrier Reef in dire straits without extra $500m and ban on dumping Labor's new plan removes millions of dollars in taxpayer support for dredging at Abbot Point, while requiring that seabed to be dumped onshore next to the port instead of in sensitive wetlands or in reef waters.

The Guardian

Most banks will change American dollars and travellers' cheques and most credit cards are accepted in major cities.

The Guardian - Travel

Axact employees operating a boiler room-style operation also allegedly posed as US officials to bully potential customers into paying thousands of dollars for worthless accreditation.

The Guardian

In Queensland, it seems, bands can't wait to queue up to offer support – or at the least, their silence – in exchange for a few dollars.

The Guardian - Music

"These cartels have spent years and tens of millions of dollars trying to create a secret underworld of passages so they can move large quantities of drugs," Laura Duffy, the United States attorney for the San Diego region told reporters.

The Guardian

"One of the thresholds we just crossed in the last quarter is that the outdoor advertising industry is now bringing in more advertising dollars than newspapers".

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about specific amounts, specify the currency (e.g., US dollars, Canadian dollars) to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Ensure the currency symbol ($) is placed correctly before the numerical amount (e.g., $500, not 500$).

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "dollars" is as a plural noun, representing a quantity of money. As supported by Ludwig, "dollars" correctly refers to currency in numerous contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "dollars" functions as a plural noun denoting monetary value and is very commonly used across various contexts, especially in news and business. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness. To ensure clarity, specify the currency type when necessary. Avoid misplacing the currency symbol. Related phrases include "us currency", "funds" and "financial resources". Using these observations can enhance writing precision and appropriateness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

funds

Simplifies "dollars" to a basic term for money.

us currency

Replaces "dollars" with a specific type of currency.

cash

Uses a more specific term for physical currency.

monetary funds

Uses a more formal term for money.

financial resources

Replaces "dollars" with a broader term for available capital.

legal tender

Replaces "dollars" with a term emphasizing its official status as currency.

capital

Uses a general term for financial assets.

financial means

Highlights the availability of money to achieve something.

revenues

Focuses on income rather than general currency.

assets

Broadens the scope to include all valuable possessions, not just currency.

FAQs

How do I use "dollars" in a sentence?

"Dollars" is used to denote amounts of money, typically in reference to United States currency but also applicable to other currencies named "dollar". For example, "The project cost millions of dollars" or "He earned a few dollars selling lemonade".

What can I say instead of "dollars"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "us currency", "funds", "monetary funds", or "cash".

Is it correct to say "dollar" instead of "dollars"?

Use "dollar" for singular amounts (e.g., "one dollar") and "dollars" for plural amounts (e.g., "two dollars").

What is the difference between "dollars" and "currency"?

"Dollars" refers to a specific type of currency, while "currency" is a general term for a system of money in a particular country or region. You might exchange euros for "dollars" when traveling to the United States.