dirham

noun

dir·​ham ˈdir-həm How to pronounce dirham (audio)
1
: the basic monetary unit of Morocco and United Arab Emirates see Money Table
2
: a monetary subunit of the dinar (Libya) and riyal (Qatar) see dinar, riyal at Money Table

Examples of dirham 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.
But the flow of dirhams and riyals doesn’t stop there. — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026 During epidemics, crises, emergencies, or disasters, those figures double to a minimum of two years and 200,000 UAE dirhams. — Dana Alomar, Wired News, 28 Apr. 2026 Knight Frank said there was a record 169,000 property transactions in 2024, totaling 367 billion dirhams. — Maxim Lukyanov, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026 Driverless cars and flying taxis may still be on the agenda, but the new 55 dirham ($15) route from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah — cutting about 40 minutes of drive time — has long been anticipated by road-weary residents. — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for dirham

Word History

Etymology

Arabic, from Latin drachma drachma

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dirham was in 1788

Browse Nearby Words

dirgie
dirham
dirhem
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dirham.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dirham. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dirham

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dirham

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