ETYM French, from franc a Franc. Related to Frank.
The basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 centimes.
French coin, so called from 1360 when it was a gold coin inscribed Francorum Rex, “King of the Franks”. The franc CFA (Communauté française d’Afrique) is the currency of the former French territories in Africa; in France’s Pacific territories the franc CFP (Communauté française du pacifique) is used. The currency units of Belgium, Luxembourg, and Switzerland are also called francs.