rial

1 of 6

noun (1)

ri·​al rē-ˈȯl 

-ˈäl

variants or less commonly riyal

: the basic monetary unit of Iran, Oman, and Yemen see Money Table

rial

2 of 6

noun (2)

ri·​al

less common spelling of riyal

: the basic monetary unit of Qatar and Saudi Arabia see Money Table

riyal

3 of 6

noun (3)

ri·​yal rē-ˈyäl 

-ˈyal

variants or less commonly rial

: the basic monetary unit of Qatar and Saudi Arabia see Money Table

riyal

4 of 6

noun (4)

ri·​yal

less common spelling of rial

: the basic monetary unit of Iran, Oman, and Yemen see Money Table

ryal

5 of 6

noun (5)

ry·​al

variants or less commonly rial

ˈrī(ə)l 

plural -s

1

: rose noble

2

: one of two Scottish coins:

a

: a gold coin equivalent to 60 shillings or 3 pounds issued by Mary Queen of Scots (16th century)

b

: a silver coin worth 30 shillings issued by Mary and James VI (16th and 17th centuries)

3

: a monetary unit of Zanzibar used until 1908 and equal to 136 pysa

ryal

6 of 6

variant spelling of real:4

Examples of rial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Inflation has devastated purchasing power, unemployment officially hovers around 8% to 10%, while many economists think real unemployment and underemployment are far higher, and the Iranian rial (its currency) has lost 98% of its value against the U.S. dollar over the last decade. —Haggai Carmon, Boston Herald, 13 May 2026

In Tehran, where the minimum wage sits just above 200 million rials a month, the daily struggle for basic sustenance has become a catalyst for revolt. —Liram Koblentz-Stenzler, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026

Noun

In 2022, when the games were hosted in Qatar, the most expensive general sale tickets for the final match were 5,850 Qatari riyals, or $1,607, a 46% increase from the $1,100 price for the equivalent match in 2018. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 2 June 2026

But the flow of dirhams and riyals doesn’t stop there. —Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Persian, from Arabic riyāl riyal

Noun (3)

Arabic riyāl, from Spanish real real

Noun (5)

Middle English, from ryal, rial royal

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1930, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1856, in the meaning defined above

Noun (5)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rial

• denial
• mistrial
• posttrial
• pretrial
• retrial
• dial
• thiol
• trial
• vial
• sensorial