rial

1 of 2

noun (1)

ri·​al rē-ˈȯl How to pronounce rial (audio)
-ˈäl
variants or less commonly
: 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
In just a short span, the currency collapsed, and the dollar surged from 70,000 rials to more than 1,400,000 rials. Shahrnush Parsipur, Time, 3 Feb. 2026 Demonstrations have been ongoing since December, triggered by soaring inflation and the collapse of the rial, and have expanded into broader demands for political change. Haley Ott, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026 Iran’s currency this week dropped to ⁠a record ‍low of 1,500,000 rials to ‍the ⁠dollar. Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026 The demonstrations began in late December in response to the collapsing value of the national currency -- the rial -- before morphing into a wider anti-regime movement which drew backing from dissidents abroad and Western governments. David Brennan, ABC News, 29 Jan. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rial. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on rial

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster