shilling

shilling — noun

1. A piece of currency used in Britain and Ireland before 1971. Each shilling held

1.nounB2
Definition

A piece of currency used in Britain and Ireland before 1971. Each shilling held the buying power of twelve pence, and twenty shillings added up to one pound.

Example

Grandfather kept a single shilling from his 1950s coin collection.

The bus fare in 1960s London was just one shilling per ride.

historical pricing: shilling as unit of old fare system

Common collocations
  • silver shilling
  • old shilling
  • shilling coin
  • pay X shillings
  • cost X shillings

Grammar Patterns

number + shilling(s)

Usage Note

No longer in official use — the UK decimalised its currency in 1971, replacing the shilling with the five-pence coin. Modern learners will most often encounter this sense in historical novels, old price markings, and British period films.

Common Mistakes

I paid five shillings for my coffee this morning in London.
I paid five pounds for my coffee this morning in London.
Shillings have not been used as everyday currency in the UK since 1971.
He found a shilling and said it was worth one penny.
He found a shilling and said it was worth twelve old pence.
One shilling equaled twelve old pence, not one.

2. The main currency of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Somalia. Each shilling can be

2.nounB1
Definition

The main currency of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Somalia. Each shilling can be divided into one hundred cents.

Example

The Kenyan shilling has been fairly stable against the US dollar this year.

collocation: Kenyan shilling + exchange rate movement

Jiwoo exchanged her dollars for Tanzanian shillings at the airport.

currency exchange pattern: [currency] for shillings

Common collocations
  • Kenyan shilling
  • Tanzanian shilling
  • Ugandan shilling
  • Somali shilling
  • shilling weakened
  • shilling strengthened
  • exchange rate for shillings
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

[country name] + shilling

number + shillings

Usage Note

The word looks the same as the historical British coin but refers to an entirely separate, modern currency system. Always specify the country (Kenyan shilling, Tanzanian shilling, etc.) in formal contexts.

Common Mistakes

I exchanged my dollars for British shillings at the Nairobi bank.
I exchanged my dollars for Kenyan shillings at the Nairobi bank.
The East African shilling is a different currency from the old British coin.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Like the shilling, the rand (South Africa), naira (Nigeria), cedi (Ghana), and dinar (Tunisia, Algeria, Libya) are each the standard currency of one or more African nations. The shilling is unique in being shared by four East African countries (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Somalia) which each issue their own version. The rand is used across multiple Southern African countries through the Common Monetary Area. The naira and cedi are single-country currencies, while the dinar appears in several North African and Middle Eastern nations with different exchange rates. In news reports you might read: 'The Kenyan shilling fell against the dollar today, while the Nigerian naira held steady.'

rand ↗nairacedidinar

Common collocations

Nouns

  • shilling coin
  • shilling note
  • exchange rate
  • currency peg

Phrases

  • cost X shillings
  • pay X shillings
  • worth X shillings

Prepositions

  • shilling per [item]
  • in shillings

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'shilling' comes from Old English 'scilling', which meant a coin or a unit of account. It is related to similar words in other Germanic languages, such as German 'Schilling' and Dutch 'schelling'. The coin was in use in England for over a thousand years before being replaced in 1971. When several East African countries gained independence in the 1960s, they chose 'shilling' as the name for their new currencies, continuing the historical tradition.