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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Official inflation is near 90%, the rial has passed 2 million to the dollar, and the IMF has this year put the contraction in a range of about 5 to 6 percent, per Anadolu's explainer and the Fund's later wartime update. — Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 The dollar value of the minimum wage has fallen from about $105 to $86 since late March as the rial has weakened significantly. — Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 29 Aug. 2026 Iran’s currency – the rial – is incredibly weak and dropped to a record low of two million against the US dollar yesterday. — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026 While little is known about the specifics of new economic sanctions, the Iranian rial hit a new open-market low on Sunday, with the dollar surpassing 2 million rials, according to Gulf News. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for rial

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Browse Nearby Words

RIA
rial
rialto
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Cite this Entry

“Rial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rial. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on rial

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rial

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