rial

1 of 2

noun (1)

ri·​al rē-ˈȯl 

-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

Noun

But a jab this year is going for 22 million rials, or roughly $9, which is almost double last year’s price, though authorities have promised to provide it to high-risk patients free of charge. — ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026

Its currency, the rial, which traded at around six hundred thousand to the dollar a year ago, has plummeted. — Robin Wright, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026

The value of the country’s currency has hit a record low of over two million rials to the dollar. — Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026

There is a sharp gap between that rate, however, and the official rate determined by the government, which, as of Friday, put the rial at about 42,000 to the dollar. — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 7 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Persian, from Arabic riyāl riyal

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1930, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rial

• denial
• mistrial
• posttrial
• pretrial
• retrial
• dial
• thiol
• trial
• vial
• sensorial