Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Finance
FINANCE, the art of managing
money matters, the person who professes
this art being called a financier.
Finances, in the plural, is often used for
money itself, but still with a reference to
the purpose to which it is to be applied,
as where the finances of a country are
said to have improved or fallen off. It is
used in the United States as in England,
rather in a political and economic sense
than officially; but in France there have
been, from time to time, comptrollers-general
of finances, councils of finances,
bureaus of finances, etc., and at the
present time, Minister of Finances.