lira

1 of 4

noun (1)

li·​ra ˈlir-ə 

ˈlē-rə

plural lire ˈlē-(ˌ)rā  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 

-ˌrōth

: the former Israeli pound

lira

4 of 4

noun (4)

plural liri ˈlē-(ˌ)rē 

: the basic monetary unit of Malta until 2008

Examples of lira in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Finally, immerse yourself at Tato, a rocker bar that features live local metal (cover, 100 lira) and cold draft beer (150 lira). —Alex Crevar, New York Times, 11 July 2024

No, the reason that hamburgers cost a lot more now is because the dollar lost value during that time — somewhat like the Turkish lira has also lost value over the past 20 years, producing terrible chronic inflation in Turkey. —Nathan Lewis, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025

Paintings that before would barely fetch forty or fifty thousand lire were now selling for two hundred thousand in a snap. —Dino Buzzati, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024

Currency usage also varies across regions, with the Syrian pound prevalent in areas formerly controlled by Assad and the Turkish lira widely used in northern regions. —Karam Shaar, Foreign Affairs, 20 Dec. 2024

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

Rhymes for lira

• hera
• lire
• mira
• pyrene
• sera
• sirrah
• syrah
• hegira
• taira
• leptospira

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