Monetisation

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The transformation of a good or service into a source of income occurs when establishing and utilizing revenue-generating mechanisms for economic gain
2. The process of turning an asset, service, or resource into money or a way to earn income
3. Transforming something of value into a financial benefit or revenue stream

Etymology: Monetisation is a modern formation built on "monetise", which itself is a verb made from the noun "money" with the suffix "-ise" (or "-ize" in American spelling). The noun then takes the suffix "-ation", which turns an action into the thing being done. So "monetisation" names the act of turning something into a source of money, or the process of doing so. The ending is the interesting part. "-ation" arrived in English through Old French from Latin "-ātiō", and it has been attached to thousands of verbs over the centuries, from "nation" to "creation". Its job is always the same: it converts a verb into a noun for the process. Monetisation simply applies that old machinery to a very modern idea, namely putting a price tag on things that were once free, such as websites, music or personal data.

Synonyms: commercialization, capitalization, profitization