rial

1 of 2

noun (1)

ri·​al rē-ˈȯl How to pronounce rial (audio)
-ˈäl
variants or less commonly riyal
the basic monetary unit of Iran, Oman, and Yemen see Money Table

rial

2 of 2

noun (2)

ri·​al

less common spelling of riyal

the basic monetary unit of Qatar and Saudi Arabia see Money Table

Examples of rial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
After Khamenei’s speech, the Iranian rial fell to 691,500 against the dollar, near an all-time low. Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024 Economic pressure mounts as Iran's currency, the rial, hovers near record lows due to international sanctions linked to its nuclear ambitions, which involve enriching uranium closer to weapons-grade levels. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024 Prolonged high inflation has eroded purchasing power for Iranians, making basic necessities difficult to afford amid severe depreciation of the Iranian rial. Natasha Turak, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2024 For example, Iran could use Chinese technology to issue a digital rial that is fully interoperable with the Chinese system. Aditi Kumar, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2020 See all Example Sentences for rial 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Persian, from Arabic riyāl riyal

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1930, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rial was in 1930

Dictionary Entries Near rial

Cite this Entry

“Rial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rial. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

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