They are:
General Acceptability definition: According to this, Money is that commodity or thing which is easily accepted in payment for exchange of goods and services in the economy. According to Benham, Money is defined as generally acceptable purchasing power or something which everybody is prepared to accept in exchange for goods or services.
Functional definations: This definition is related to the function of money. According to Cowther, Money can be defined as anything that is generally accepted as a means of exchange and at the same time acts as a measure and store of value. Money is that thing which properly acts as a measure different functions such as medium of exchange, measurement of value, store of value, standard of different payments and means of transferring value and so on.
Legal definition: This definition is related to the approval of government or law. According to Knapp, anything which is declared money by state becomes money. People are compelled to accept different things is the firm of money if government declares it by law.
Functions of money:
No economy in the world can function without money. The role of money is increasing day by day in modern economy. The following stages are frequently used to define functions of money.
Money is a matter of function for a medium, a measure, a state and a standard. As it doesnot complete the picture, we may add transferability more.
The important functions can be classified into three different categories.
Primary functions: The major function performed by money are known ad primary functions, which are as:
Medium of exchange: Money is a medium of exchange between buyer and seller. Each person accepts money with confidence. Money has removed all the difficulties that exist in bater system. A seller can sells good with money at any place where he gets most suitable price and can purchase desired goods. Thus, money is a medium of exchange which helps business community to take correct decisions.
Measure of value: Money serves as a common measure of value and standard unit of account. It provides a common denomination for various goods and services. Value of goods and services expensed in terms of money is known as price .It helps in developing efficient accounting system because the value of a variety of goods and services which are physically measured in different units can not be added up. Money makes possible to compare of various quantity of goods. It provides the basis for book- keeping, estimating national income, cost of a project, profit and loss of a firm, etc.
2. Secondary function:
These functions are derived functions which are supplementary to primary functions.
Standard of deferred payments
Store of value
Transfer of value: Transfer of value means transferring value of durable and immobile goods from one place to another. Money performs this functions successfully because it is most liquid and generally acceptable to every person and at all the places. We can sell fixed and immobile assets from one place to another. These commodities can be sold from one person to another by converting them into money. It provides mobility of the machinery, land values and goods which in turn accelerates the growth of trade and industry.
3. Contingent Function:
According to Kinley, Those functions of money that arises an account of economic development of a country are known as contingent functions of money. The main contingent functions are:
Distribution of natural income
Maximization of satisfaction: Consumers can get maximum satisfaction when he equates MU and price ratios of different goods with each other.
Symbolically:
Basic of credit and credit creation
Liquidity and uniformity of wealth: People prefer to hold assets in the form of money for three motives i.e. transaction motives, precautionary motive and speculative motive.