rupee

noun

ru·​pee rü-ˈpē How to pronounce rupee (audio) ˈrü-ˌpē How to pronounce rupee (audio)
: the basic monetary unit of India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka see Money Table

Examples of rupee 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.
The move aimed to shore up the Indian rupee, which remains weak amid a rising energy import bill and an exodus of foreign capital. — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026 The ship was also transporting 155 ingots of gold bullion valued at up to £2 million, allocated to the Bank of India as part of an effort to stabilize the rupee. — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2026 Her husband, the family’s sole provider, was rarely home, forced to chase construction jobs around Nepal and India that brought the family around 12,000 Nepalese rupees ($80) per month. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 In addition to calling for Pradhan’s resignation, the CJP asked for compensation of 10 million rupees ($104,000) for each student who died by suicide following the leak. — Philip Wang, Time, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for rupee

Word History

Etymology

Hindi & Urdu rūpaiyā, from Sanskrit rūpya coined silver

First Known Use

1610, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rupee was in 1610

Rhymes for rupee

See All Rhymes for rupee

Browse Nearby Words

Runyon
rupee
Rupert
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Cite this Entry

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

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Kids Definition

rupee

noun
ru·​pee rü-ˈpē How to pronounce rupee (audio) ˈrü-ˌpē How to pronounce rupee (audio)
1
: the basic unit of money of any of several countries (as of India and Pakistan)
2
: a coin representing one rupee
Etymology

from a word in Hindi and Urdu (the main language of Pakistan) rūpaiyā "a unit of money"

More from Merriam-Webster on rupee

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rupee

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