Almighty dollar is an idiom

Idiom

Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...

 often used to satirize an obsession for material wealth

Economic materialism

Materialism is a mindset that views the consumption and acquisition of material goods as positive and desirable. It is often bound up with a value system which regards social status as being intrinsically linked to affluence as well as the perception that happiness can be increased through...

 (the phrase implies that money is a kind of deity

Deity

A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....

).

The beginning of the realisation that wealth can engender quasi-religious respect has been attributed to British writer Ben Johnson, who wrote in 1616:

"Whilst that for which all virtue now is sold,

And almost every vice, almightie gold"

The "dollar" version of the phrase is commonly attributed to Washington Irving

Washington Irving

Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...

, who used it in the story "The Creole Village", which was first published in the 1837 edition of The Magnolia, a literary annual.The story was also reprinted in its entirety in the November 1836 issue of The Knickerbocker

The Knickerbocker

The Knickerbocker, or New-York Monthly Magazine, was a literary magazine of New York City, founded by Charles Fenno Hoffman in 1833, and published until 1865 under various titles, including:...

magazine within a review of The Magnolia.

"The almighty dollar, that great object of universal devotion throughout our land, seems to have no genuine devotees in these peculiar villages; and unless some of its missionaries penetrate there, and erect banking houses and other pious shrines, there is no knowing how long the inhabitants may remain in their present state of contented poverty."

Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton

Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton PC , was an English politician, poet, playwright, and novelist. He was immensely popular with the reading public and wrote a stream of bestselling dime-novels which earned him a considerable fortune...

 is often credited with coining the related phrase "pursuit of the almighty dollar", which he used in his 1871 novel The Coming Race. More obscure uses of the phrase can be found as far back as 1852.

"The Almighty Dollar

The Almighty Dollar (Ozzy Osbourne song)

The Almighty Dollar is an industrial metal song by Ozzy Osbourne from his 2007 album Black Rain. It is the fifth track on the album.The song's lyrics blame the intentional ignoring of problems such as global warming and pollution due to greed on the condition our planet is in...

" is also the name of an Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne

John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...

 song from the Black Rain

Black Rain (Ozzy Osbourne album)

-'Tour Edition' disc 2:- Album sales :Black Rain debuted at #3 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling about 152,000 copies in its first week; making it Osbourne's highest debut to date. It peaked at number 37 on the Australian ARIA Album Chart...

album. The song argues that money and greed are destroying the planet by blinding people to problems such as global warming

Global warming

Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...

 and pollution

Pollution

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...

.

"Almighty Dollar" is also the name of a Devin The Dude

Devin the Dude

Devin Copeland , better known by his stage name, Devin the Dude, is a Houston hip hop artist, and rapper. He is best known for his unique rapping style, his long career signed to Rap-A-Lot Records, and his 2002 song, "Lacville '79"....

 song from the 2007 album Waitin' To Inhale

Waitin' to Inhale

Waitin' to Inhale is the fourth solo album by Rap-A-Lot Records artist, Devin the Dude. The album peaked at #30 on the Billboard 200, making this his highest charting album to date. It features high-profile guest appearances from André 3000, Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, and Bun B. As of December 2007,...

. It is a lament both of a marijuana user's lack of money and the declining buying power

Purchasing power

Purchasing power is the number of goods/services that can be purchased with a unit of currency. For example, if you had taken one dollar to a store in the 1950s, you would have been able to buy a greater number of items than you would today, indicating that you would have had a greater purchasing...

 of the U.S. dollar

United States dollar

The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

.