lira

American  

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

noun

lire, plural liras plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• liras
  plural
• lire
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lira

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

Example Sentences

Erik Lira, Raúl Jiménez and Brian Gutiérrez will join Gallardo returning to the lineup after sitting out Mexico’s last match.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026

Lira was sentenced to four months in federal prison and four months of home confinement and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

As this program kicks off, Lira said the U.S. is also experiencing a “renaissance” with children’s relationship with financial literacy.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 28, 2026

Lira notes that the immune system is affected by many lifestyle factors, including sleep quality, nutrition, vaccination, stress, inactivity, and certain medications that suppress immune activity.

From Science Daily • Oct. 14, 2025

She spoke in Italian, and Von Lira answered in the same language; but as what he said was not exactly humorous, I will spare you the strange construction of his sentences.

From A Roman Singer by Crawford, F. Marion (Francis Marion)