lira

1 of 4

noun (1)

li·​ra ˈlir-ə How to pronounce lira (audio)
ˈlē-rə
plural lire ˈlē-(ˌ)rā How to pronounce lira (audio) also liras
: the basic monetary unit of Italy until 2002

lira

2 of 4

noun (2)

plural liras
: the basic monetary unit of Turkey see Money Table

lira

3 of 4

noun (3)

plural liroth or lirot ˈlē-ˌrōt How to pronounce lira (audio)
-ˌrōth
: the former Israeli pound

lira

4 of 4

noun (4)

plural liri ˈlē-(ˌ)rē How to pronounce lira (audio)
: the basic monetary unit of Malta until 2008

Examples of lira in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Building a network from a standing start took far longer than the spreadsheet allowed, and pricing across a currency that has moved as sharply as the lira has in recent years can erase a margin between quote and payment. — Ali Aydan, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026 The Turkish lira, which collapsed after İmamoğlu's arrest and required the Turkish central bank to spend 50 billion dollars to support it, has somewhat stabilized. — Kaya Genç, The Dial, 9 June 2026 Lies, lust and Italian lira are abound in this Disney+ exclusive Simpsons noir. — Joe Otterson, Variety, 28 May 2026 The shift puts at risk the lira carry trade — a strategy in which investors borrow in low-yield currencies to buy higher-yield assets — that has been a hot emerging-markets’ bet for almost three years. — Kerim Karakaya, Bloomberg, 11 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for lira

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Italian, from Latin libra, a unit of weight

Noun (2)

Turkish, from Italian

Noun (3)

Modern Hebrew, from Italian

Noun (4)

Maltese, from Italian

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1617, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1871, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

circa 1946, in the meaning defined above

Noun (4)

circa 1985, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lira was in 1617

Rhymes for lira

See All Rhymes for lira

Browse Nearby Words

liquory
lira
lira da braccio
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lira.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lira. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

lira

noun
li·​ra
ˈlir-ə
1
plural lire
ˈlē-ˌrā
 also liras : the basic unit of money of Italy until 2002
2
plural liras : the basic unit of money of Turkey
3
: a coin or bill representing one lira

More from Merriam-Webster on lira

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lira

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