Which of the following is a primary characteristic of money?

A primary characteristic of money is that it acts as a medium of exchange. This means that money is widely accepted as a method of payment for goods and services, facilitating transactions within an economy. The role of money as a medium of exchange eliminates the inefficiencies of barter, where trading goods directly can be complicated and limiting. By using money, individuals and businesses can easily buy and sell without needing a direct trade of goods.

In addition to being a medium of exchange, money is expected to have other characteristics such as being a unit of account and a store of value. However, in the context of the question, the immediate focus is on its function in facilitating economic transactions, which is fundamentally what defines money’s role in an economy.