Simón El Libertador, 1783–1830, Venezuelan statesman: leader of revolt of South American colonies against Spanish rule.
Pico Bolívar, a mountain in western Venezuela, in the Cordillera Mérida: highest elevation in Venezuela. 16,411 feet (5,007 meters).
First recorded in 1880–85; from Latin American Spanish, named after Simón Bolívar
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Few global currencies have had more spectacular declines than the bolivar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026
Prices in Venezuela are set in dollars, but many people pay with the weak bolivar -- taking advantage of the difference between the official and black-market exchange rate to pay less in real dollar value.
From Barron's ● Jan. 22, 2026
Interim president Delcy Rodriguez confirmed that her country had received $300 million from Washington's sale of Venezuelan crude and said she would use it to prop up the bolivar against the dollar.
From Barron's ● Jan. 20, 2026
“The Venezuelan bolivar lost 99.8% in the last 10 years against the U.S. dollar, the Turkish lira lost 80%, the Argentina peso around 94.5%,” said Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino at a recent crypto conference.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 10, 2026
His patent-leather shoes and his bolivar could last awhile longer.
From L'Assommoir by Zola, Émile
A state of emergency was in place and the Simón Bolívar International Airport, located just outside Caracas, was closed because of damage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
The quakes hit while the country was celebrating a national holiday, commemorating the 1821 Battle of Carabobo, a decisive victory by Venezuelan independence leader Simón Bolívar against the Spanish colonial power.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
One reason Dudamel was happy in Venezuela was his position as music director of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra, part of El Sistema, the country’s famed music education program.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
His first major recording boasted startlingly propulsive performances of Beethoven’s Fifth and Seventh Symphonies, with the uproarious Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, recorded 20 years ago this month.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026
Soon, however, came news of Bolívar fighting from the mountains of New Granada; and in 1813 Paez was once more in the saddle, with the commission, this time, of captain in the Patriot service.
From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 03, No. 16, February, 1859 by Various
American airmen were already helping to restore traffic at Simon Bolivar International Airport near Caracas, which was also damaged in one of the worst quake disasters in Latin American history.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Here was a chance for the secretary of State, the man the Atlantic recently called “bright and well spoken,” to channel his inner Simón Bolivar or José Martí.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 9, 2026
“We are not criminals for coming out,” said Keyver Sequera, 28 years old, a computer-programming student at Simón Bolivar University.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026
In her remarks, Machado described the story of military general who fought in America's Revolutionary War who had given a medal to Simon Bolivar, one of the founding father's of modern Venezuela.
From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2026
The next week, at the Parque Bolivar, I’m sitting on a bench in the shade, watching some children play by the fountain.
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
To help right the economy, she made deals with business elites and pushed a reform that allows Venezuelans to use the dollar instead of the bolívar.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 2026
Meanwhile, the inflation rate of the bolívar was spiraling out of control.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2021
And the only reason you get other units being used, like the Venezuelan bolívar, it’s small change.
From The Verge ● Apr. 6, 2021
José knew that in order to leave he would need US dollars, but the value of the Venezuelan currency, the bolívar, had sunk so low they were virtually unobtainable.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2020
The bolívar, the national currency, is worthless, and goods are paid for in gold or reals, the Brazilian currency.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 30, 2019
The last raise, in April 2022, put monthly pay at 130 bolivares, which at the time was worth $30, but has now dwindled to $3.70.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 13, 2023
One big problem is that most Venezuelans earn their salaries in bolivares, the national currency, and don’t have easy access to dollars.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2022
Some teachers will remain absent for fear of getting sick or because of low salaries, she said, adding that the maximum monthly salary for her members is 118 bolivares, equivalent to $27.
From Reuters ● Oct. 25, 2021
With the value of the bolivar at a record low, his 1.25m bolivares will get him just 14 sacks of sugar here in Brazil.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2017
Liendo charges forty-five bolivares a trip—less than a nickel.
From The New Yorker ● Nov. 6, 2016
Fishing is the main occupation in Guaca, and fishermen like Marín are paid in the Venezuelan currency, bolivars.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026
The dollar injection has helped the Venezuelan currency trade at about 450 bolivars per dollar on the crypto exchange Binance from about 800 a couple of weeks earlier.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026
That marks a 479.25 percent increase from the rate of 52.02 bolivars to the dollar posted in early 2025.
From Barron's ● Jan. 1, 2026
These days, the minimum wage paid in bolivars is the equivalent of $3.80 per month, down from $30 in April 2022, when it was last raised.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 23, 2023
Castro suppressed two newspapers which had become pronounced against him, and in his lack of sufficient funds to carry on the war, levied a million bolivars from the widow of Guzman Blanco, the former president.
From Where Duty Called or, In Honor Bound by Clair, Victor St.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
