What is money? Explain the definition in terms of the functions of money?

Brief Principles of Macroeconomics (MindTap Course List)
8th Edition
ISBN:9781337091985
Author:N. Gregory Mankiw
Publisher:N. Gregory Mankiw
Chapter11: The Monetary System
Section11.1: The Meaning Of Money
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What is money? Explain the definition in terms of the functions of money?

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Step 1

Money is anything that is generally accepted by the people in the economy and used for the purchase and sale of the goods and services in the market of the economy. In the ancient periods, the precious metal coins were used for the transaction of goods and services in the economy and the economy accepted those metal coins for the goods and services which made them the money. Before the coins, the commodities were exchanged for other goods and services in the market and that system was known as the Barter system. Thus, money was any commodity which was widely accepted by society as a medium of exchange in the market.

Step 2

There are three main functions of money and they are as follows:

The primary function of money is the medium of exchange. Money acts as a medium of exchange between the seller and the buyer in the market. It helps to resolve the issue of double coincidence of wants in the market which was the important restriction faced by the Barter system of trade.

The second function of money is the measure of value. Money is used to compare the values of similar as well as dissimilar products in the economy. This helps to sell any product in the market and purchase any commodity from the market with money as it helps to measure the value of all the goods and services in the economy.

Another important function of money is the store the value. Money can be stored for a longer period and can be used at any time for the consumption of goods and services in the market. This ability to save and use at any point in time is the important function of the money.

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