dollar area: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal, Financial/Historical
Quick answer
What does “dollar area” mean?
A geographical or economic zone where the US dollar is the primary or official currency.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A geographical or economic zone where the US dollar is the primary or official currency.
An economic region comprising countries whose currencies are pegged to, or whose economies are heavily influenced by, the US dollar; historically, a specific post-WWII economic bloc.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is similar, but 'dollar area' in UK contexts may more often reference the historical economic bloc versus the US. In American usage, it can refer more generally to regions using the dollar.
Connotations
British: historical, external financial zone. American: sphere of economic influence or contemporary dollarized economies.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “dollar area” in a Sentence
[country] joined the dollar area.Trade within the dollar area increased.The [agreement] established a dollar area.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “dollar area” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The nation sought to dollarise its economy and effectively join the dollar area.
- They planned to dollar-area the trade agreements.
American English
- The territory voted to dollarize and enter the dollar area.
- The pact would dollar-area the participating economies.
adverb
British English
- The currency traded dollar-area.
- Goods were priced dollar-area.
American English
- The economy operated dollar-area.
- They conducted business dollar-area.
adjective
British English
- dollar-area trade
- dollar-area membership
American English
- dollar-area economies
- dollar-area stability
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Analyzing trade flows within the informal dollar area of Southeast Asia.
Academic
The post-war Bretton Woods system effectively created a global dollar area.
Everyday
Rarely used in everyday conversation.
Technical
A monetary union where member states either use the US dollar or peg their currency to it.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “dollar area”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “dollar area”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “dollar area”
- Incorrect article: 'a dollar area' vs. 'the Dollar Area' (historical specific).
- Confusing it with 'area' meaning physical space.
- Using plural: 'dollars area'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Dollarization is the process of a country adopting the US dollar. The 'dollar area' is the resulting zone containing all such countries.
No, the UK uses the pound sterling and is not part of any formal dollar area.
No, that would be a 'financial district'. 'Dollar area' is a macroeconomic and historical term.
Historically, the opposite was the 'Sterling Area', a group of countries that pegged their currencies to the British pound.
A geographical or economic zone where the US dollar is the primary or official currency.
Dollar area is usually formal, financial/historical in register.
Dollar area: in British English it is pronounced /ˈdɒlər ˈeəriə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈdɑːlɚ ˈɛriə/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To be in the dollar area”
- “A pillar of the dollar area”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
DOLLAR AREA: Imagine a map where all the countries coloured in green use the Dollar ($) – that's the Dollar AREA.
Conceptual Metaphor
CURRENCY AS A TERRITORY / ECONOMIC ZONE (The dollar governs/occupies an economic space).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary characteristic of a 'dollar area'?