face value

noun

1

: the value indicated on the face (as of a postage stamp or a stock certificate)

2

: the apparent value or significance

if their remarks may be taken at face value

Examples of face value in a Sentence

We paid $100 for tickets that had a face value of $50.

Recent Examples on the Web

There usually are, but they are found on the secondary market where in the past six months data shows more and more of these tickets priced below face value. —Eric Fuller, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024

His audience was larger—lines curving around blocks, scalpers demanding hundreds above face value. —Stephen Metcalf, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2024

Dynamic pricing allows for ticket costs to fluctuate based on demand, but all too often, the end result is that prices surge far beyond face value for high-profile performances. —Chris Welch, The Verge, 30 Sep. 2024

Prices were still above face value but nothing compared with those in the US and Canada. —Cynthia Moss, CNN, 19 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

face value

noun

1

: the value indicated on the face of something (as a coin, bill, bond, or insurance policy)

2

: the apparent worth or significance

can't take what he says at face value

Legal Definition

face value

noun

: the value indicated on the face of something (as a stock certificate)