Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

almighty dollar

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.66 in modern English

Syllables: almighty -dol-lar
IPA

24

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

3

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The dollar, satirically characterized as a god.

American usage; Derogatory

Example Sentences

"The almighty dollar, that great object of universal devotion throughout our land, seems to have no genuine devotees in these peculiar villages; and unless some of its missionaries penetrate there, and erect banking houses and other pious shrines, there is no knowing how long the inhabitants may remain in their present state of contented poverty."

Etymology

Most sources hold this to be a coinage of Washington Irving, alluding to "Almighty God", although a Philadelphia newspaper also used the phrase at approximately the same time and Ben Jonson had used "almighty gold" in 1616 in Epistle to Elizabeth, Countess of Rutland.

Usage

American usage
Derogatory

Inflected Forms

the almighty dollar (canonical)

Questions

What does almighty dollar mean?: The dollar, satirically characterized as a god.
Where does almighty dollar come from?: Most sources hold this to be a coinage of Washington Irving, alluding to "Almighty God", although a Philadelphia newspaper also used the phrase at approximately the same time and Ben Jonson had used "almighty gold" in 1616 in Epistle to Elizabeth, Countess of Rutland.

How to pronounce almighty dollar

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