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
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Noun
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 The nation, which has been under the rule of a theocratic authoritarian government since the Iranian Revolution of 1979, faced a round of widespread protests beginning in December over worsening economic conditions, including rising inflation and the collapse of the Iranian rial. Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026 Economic conditions have only deteriorated since, with its currency – the rial – dropping to an all-time low. Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 27 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

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Cite this Entry

“Rial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rial. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.

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