the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 centimes
"The traveler checked her purse and found only a few old francs, the basic monetary unit of France before it was replaced by the euro."
A former unit of currency of France, Belgium and Luxembourg, replaced by the euro.
"The antique shopkeeper refused to accept payment in francs since they were no longer legal tender after the countries switched to the euro."
In plain English: A franc is an old French coin that was once used as money but isn't common anymore.
"She paid for her coffee with two ten-franc coins from Switzerland."
Usage: The franc was historically used in France, Belgium, and Luxembourg before being replaced by the euro. You will now encounter this term only when discussing historical prices or collecting old coins rather than current transactions.
The word comes from the French term franc, which originally meant free or exempt. It is related to words like Frank and farang that share a common origin.