lira

American  

[leer-uh, lee-rah] / ˈlɪər ə, ˈli rɑ /

noun

plural

lire, liras

1. a coin and monetary unit of Italy until the euro was adopted, equal to 100 centesimi. L., Lit.

2. a monetary unit of Malta, San Marino, and the Vatican City until the euro was adopted.

3. a silver, bronze, or chrome steel coin and monetary unit of Turkey, equal to 100 kurus; equal to 100 piasters before 1933; Turkish pound. TL.

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lira British  

/ ˈlɪərə, ˈliːra /

noun

1. the former standard monetary unit of Italy, San Marino, and the Vatican City, divided into 100 centesimi; replaced by the euro in 2002

2. Also called: pound.  the standard monetary unit of Turkey, divided into 100 kuruş

3. the former standard monetary unit of Malta, divided into 100 cents or 1000 mils; replaced by the euro in 2008

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Etymology

Origin of lira

1610–20; < Italian < Old Provençal lieura < Latin lībra pound

Example Sentences

Elsewhere, Turkey has drawn down about 60 metric tons from its reserves since the conflict began — about $8 billion worth of gold — to defend the lira, she said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026

"We will provide support of up to the equivalent of 100,000 US dollars in Turkish lira per episode for our TV series" broadcast abroad, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy told a news conference.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

“The Japanese yen is not the Indian rupee or Turkish lira, where a long-term inflation risk premium means that another record low against the U.S. dollar is probably just a matter of time,” Callow said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

The lira, which had been pegged at 1,500 to the dollar for a quarter century, now goes for around 90,000 on the black market.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 21, 2023

I paid him when it was over and tipped him half a lira.

From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway