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
Jomana Karadsheh, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026
In 2015, when the nuclear deal was signed, the rial traded at about 32,000 to the dollar.
—ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
Protests in Tehran erupted in late December 2025 after the rial plunged to a record low amid rising inflation and economic hardship, and carried into January 2026, prompting widespread market and public space closures.
—Eda Uysen, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for rial
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Noun
In one case, the father of a 13-year-old was told to declare his son a member of the Basij forces or pay around six billion rials – roughly $4000-$5,000 depending on the volatile exchange rate – according to messages sent to activist group IranWire and seen by CNN.
—Jomana Karadsheh, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026
In 2015, when the nuclear deal was signed, the rial traded at about 32,000 to the dollar.
—ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
Protests in Tehran erupted in late December 2025 after the rial plunged to a record low amid rising inflation and economic hardship, and carried into January 2026, prompting widespread market and public space closures.
—Eda Uysen, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for rial
Cite this Entry
“Rial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rial. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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