Meanings
plural face values
- countableidiomaticuncountableNo more or less than what is stated; a literal or direct meaning or interpretation.
Please take this comment at face value and don't try to read anything into it.
1 more example
Few museums have such a coherent collection that covers so many different areas of interest as the London Transport Museum. At face value, it is a collection of urban transport in London. In reality, it is so much more.
2020 June 3, Sam Mullins OBE discusses with Stefanie Foster, “LTM: a new chapter begins at 40”, in Rail, page 52
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe amount or value listed on a bill, card, note, stamp, etc.; the stated value or amount.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe value of a security that is set by the company issuing it; unrelated to market value
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
The term exists because a contrast between nominal value and market value is sometimes materially relevant for currencies.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan valor facial, valor nominal
- valor facialthe stated value or amount
- valor nominalthe stated value or amount
Chinese Mandarin 面值, 票面金額 /票面金额
- 面值 (miànzhí)the stated value or amount
- 票面金額 /票面金额 (piàomiàn jīn'é)the stated value or amount
Czech nominální hodnota
- nominální hodnotathe stated value or amount
Danish pålydende, pålydende værdi
- pålydendethe stated value or amount
- pålydende værdithe stated value or amount
Dutch nominale waarde, naamwaarde
- nominale waardethe stated value or amount
- naamwaardethe stated value or amount
Estonian nimiväärtus
- nimiväärtusthe stated value or amount
Finnish nimellisarvo
- nimellisarvothe stated value or amount
French valeur faciale, valeur nominale
- valeur facialethe stated value or amount
- valeur nominalethe stated value or amount
German Nennwert
- Nennwertthe stated value or amount
Greek ονομαστική αξία
- ονομαστική αξία (onomastikí axía)the stated value or amount
Hungarian névérték
- névértékthe stated value or amount
Irish luach ainmniúil
- luach ainmniúilthe stated value or amount
Italian valore nominale, valore facciale
- valore nominalethe stated value or amount
- valore faccialethe stated value or amount
Japanese 額面
- 額面 (gakumen)the stated value or amount
Latvian nomināls, nominālvērtība
- nominālsthe stated value or amount
- nominālvērtībathe stated value or amount
Norwegian Bokmål pålydende verdi, valør
- pålydende verdithe stated value or amount
- valørthe stated value or amount
Polish wartość nominalna, nominał
- wartość nominalnathe stated value or amount
- nominałthe stated value or amount
- prawdano more or less than what is stated; a literal or direct meaning or interpretation
Portuguese valor nominal
- valor nominalthe stated value or amount
Russian номина́льная сто́имость
- номина́льная сто́имость (nominálʹnaja stóimostʹ)the stated value or amount
Spanish valor facial, valor nominal
- valor facialthe stated value or amount
- valor nominalthe stated value or amount
- [a] primera vistano more or less than what is stated; a literal or direct meaning or interpretation
- [a] simple vistano more or less than what is stated; a literal or direct meaning or interpretation
- [a] media vistano more or less than what is stated; a literal or direct meaning or interpretation
- sin másno more or less than what is stated; a literal or direct meaning or interpretation
- [tomado al] pie de la letrano more or less than what is stated; a literal or direct meaning or interpretation
Swedish nominalvärde, valör
- nominalvärdethe stated value or amount
- valörthe stated value or amount
Welsh wynebwerth, gwerth enwol
- wynebwerththe stated value or amount
- gwerth enwolthe stated value or amount
Cite this entry
face value. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/face%20value
“face value.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/face%20value. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “face value,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/face%20value.
Source: face value on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.