the metal or paper medium of exchange that is presently used
"After checking his pocket, he realized he had no local currency to buy a snack at the street stall."
the property of belonging to the present time
"the currency of a slang term"
Money or other items used to facilitate transactions.
"The local market has shifted from bartering goods directly to accepting digital currency as the standard way to complete sales."
In plain English: Currency is the money that people use to buy things and pay for services in a specific country.
"The new currency was quickly accepted by everyone in the market."
Usage: Use "currency" to refer to money that is currently in circulation and accepted for payment within a specific region. Do not use it when simply talking about the total amount of cash held, as that is better described as "cash on hand."
The word currency comes from the Medieval Latin currentia, which is derived from the Latin verb currō meaning "to run." It entered English through a combination of the root current and the suffix -cy.