lira

1 of 4

noun (1)

li·​ra ˈlir-ə 

ˈlē-rə

plural lire ˈlē-(ˌ)rā  also liras

: the basic monetary unit of Italy until 2002

lira

2 of 4

noun (2)

plural liras

the basic monetary unit of Turkey see Money Table

lira

3 of 4

noun (3)

plural liroth or lirot ˈlē-ˌrōt 

-ˌrōth

: the former Israeli pound

lira

4 of 4

noun (4)

plural liri ˈlē-(ˌ)rē 

: the basic monetary unit of Malta until 2008

Examples of lira in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Room, breakfast included, from 3,200 lira, or about $97. —Alex Crevar, New York Times, 11 July 2024

The Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Council allocated 69 million Turkish lira, the equivalent of $2 million, for a concert featuring singer Ebru Gündeş during the October 29 Republic Day celebration, according to media reports. —Louis Casiano, Fox News, 8 Nov. 2024

Rooms, breakfast included, start at around 2,600 lira. —Alex Crevar, New York Times, 11 July 2024

With the Turkish lira collapsing, the government has introduced a deposit scheme that encourages savers to switch from dollars to liras by promising to compensate them for their foreign exchange losses, dramatically increasing the burden on the treasury. —Henri Barkey, Foreign Affairs, 3 Feb. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Italian, from Latin libra, a unit of weight

Noun (2)

Turkish, from Italian

Noun (3)

Modern Hebrew, from Italian

Noun (4)

Maltese, from Italian

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1617, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1871, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

circa 1946, in the meaning defined above

Noun (4)

circa 1985, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

lira

noun

li·​ra

ˈlir-ə

1

plural lire

ˈlē-ˌrā

also liras : the basic unit of money of Italy until 2002

2

plural liras : the basic unit of money of Turkey

3

: a coin or bill representing one lira