Financial describes anything related to money, banking, investments, or the management of funds. It often refers to how money is earned, spent, saved, or reported.
It comes from French “financier,” linked to “finance,” which originally meant settling a debt or payment, from Latin “finis” for “end” or “payment due.” The word shifted from “ending a debt” to handling money in general.
The root of “financial” is about bringing debts to an end, which shows how money language grew out of promises and obligations. When a company has “financial statements,” it’s really just telling the story of how it finished up with its money that year.
"Financial" is neutral in meaning, but financial sectors and financial literacy discourse have historically been gendered, with women often excluded from decision-making roles and stereotyped as less financially capable. Access to financial services has also been unequal across genders in many societies.
Avoid stereotypes about who is or is not "good" with financial matters based on gender, and use inclusive language when addressing audiences about financial topics (e.g., not assuming the man is the financial decision-maker).
When discussing financial history or practice, highlight women and gender-diverse professionals, reformers, and entrepreneurs who expanded access to financial tools and challenged discriminatory norms.
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