bolivar

noun

plural bolivares ˌbä-lə-ˈvär-ˌās How to pronounce bolivar (audio)
ˌbō-lē-
or bolivars
: the basic monetary unit of Venezuela see Money Table

Examples of bolivar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The minimum wage paid in bolivars is the equivalent of $5 per month, down from $30 in April. Regina Garcia Cano, ajc, 5 Mar. 2023 Why is Libra more stable than the Venezuelan bolivar? Washington Post, 19 June 2019 Hyperinflation left the Venezuelan bolivar nearly worthless, and the country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, has refused to concede power in the face of international pressure. Madison Dibble, Washington Examiner, 24 Feb. 2020 In May, the government ended foreign-currency controls for banks, allowing dollars to circulate freely alongside the beleaguered bolivar. Ryan Dube, WSJ, 30 Jan. 2020 By some estimates, there are three times as many dollars in circulation as bolivars, creating a de facto dollarization of the economy that is stabilizing inflation. Washington Post, 25 Dec. 2019 Venezuelan bolivars acquired on the black market could then be used to buy back dollars at the government rate, allowing the people involved to reap massive profits. José De Córdoba, WSJ, 23 Aug. 2018 With no debit card machines working, and few people carrying the vast quantities of bolivars needed to buy goods, the greenback became the primary means of... Santiago Pérez, WSJ, 25 Mar. 2019 The International Monetary Fund says inflation of the Venezuelan bolivar, the country’s currency, is expected to hit a startling 200,000 percent this year. NBC News, 23 Nov. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bolivar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish bolívar, from Simón Bolívar

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bolivar was in 1879

Dictionary Entries Near bolivar

Cite this Entry

“Bolivar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bolivar. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bolivar

noun
plural bolivars or bolivares ˌbäl-ə-ˈvär-ˌās How to pronounce bolivar (audio)
ˌbō-li-
1
: the basic unit of money of Venezuela
2
: a coin representing one bolivar
Etymology

American Spanish bolívar "unit of money," named for Simón Bolívar

Biographical Definition

Bolívar

biographical name

Bo·​lí·​var
Si*món sē-ˌmōn-bə-ˈlē-ˌvär How to pronounce Bolívar (audio)
ˌsī-mən-ˈbä-lə-ˌvär,
-vər
1783–1830 South American liberator

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