Idiom
Face value
To take something at face value means to accept it as it first appears, without looking for a hidden meaning or catch.
How people use it
The usual pattern is "take something at face value," and it often comes with a warning: "Don't take that offer at face value." Taking words at face value can mean trusting someone, or it can mean being naive and missing a trick. The phrase also has a literal money sense: the face value of a coin, banknote, stamp, ticket or bond is the amount printed on it, which can differ from what it actually sells for. Both senses are neutral and work in everyday and formal writing.
Also said: take something at face value.
Examples
- I took his apology at face value and didn't ask any more questions.
- Don't accept online reviews at face value, because some are written by the sellers.
- The concert tickets were resold for three times their face value.
Where it comes from
Face value began as a money term in the 1800s for the amount printed on the face, or front, of a coin, note, bond or similar document. Since the real market value could be higher or lower than the printed one, accepting something at face value came to mean accepting what is shown on the surface. The figurative sense followed soon after.
Check yourself
1. If you take a promise at face value, what do you do?
Answer: Believe it as it is stated. At face value means accepting something as it appears, without doubting it.
2. What is the face value of a ticket?
Answer: The price printed on it. In the money sense, face value is the amount printed on the item.
Similar idioms
Word game fan? See every word hiding in VALUE.