rupee

noun

the basic monetary unit of India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka see Money Table

Examples of rupee 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.
Pakistan is set to boost its defense budget by 17 percent, allocating $9 billion (2.55 trillion rupees) as tensions with India soar following a deadly flare-up in April. Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025 Adani Group—controlled by ports-to-power billionaire Gautam Adani—said the Adani family will donate up to 60 billion rupees ($686 million) to build two not-for-profit hospitals in partnership with the U.S.-based Mayo Clinic Global Consulting. Yessar Rosendar, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2025 While exact details of the tie-up are not available, the Adani Foundation has pledged to provide 20 billion rupees ($234 million) to be used to offer 30% of seats in some schools to less-privileged students for free. Anu Raghunathan, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025 According to India’s National Textile Committee, the policy could generate between 1,000 and 2,000 crore Indian rupees, or between $117 million and $234 million. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for rupee

Word History

Etymology

Hindi & Urdu rūpaiyā, from Sanskrit rūpya coined silver

First Known Use

1610, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rupee was in 1610

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rupee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rupee. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

rupee

noun
1
: the basic unit of money of any of several countries (as of India and Pakistan)
2
: a coin representing one rupee
Etymology

from a word in Hindi and Urdu (the main language of Pakistan) rūpaiyā "a unit of money"

More from Merriam-Webster on rupee

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