Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

naira

American  
[nahy-ruh] / ˈnaɪ rə /

noun

  1. a paper money and monetary unit of Nigeria, equal to 100 kobo: replaced the pound in 1973.


naira British  
/ ˈnaɪrə /

noun

  1. the standard monetary unit of Nigeria, divided into 100 kobo

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of naira

C20: altered from Nigeria

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

But the Hisbah officer wanted to assure all those wishing to wed in future that the entire process should not cost them a single naira.

From BBC Aug. 9, 2026

That comes as President Bola Tinubu has engaged in a raft of reforms, hailed by economists and investors, including liberalising the naira currency exchange rate, overhauling the tax code and removing a costly fuel subsidy.

From Barron's Jul. 22, 2026

Fuel sellers, known as "marketers", and independent analysts have disputed that figure, putting it closer to 2,000 naira.

From Barron's Apr. 30, 2026

This was later raised to about 520,000 naira after protests but she says this was insufficient to secure alternative housing.

From BBC Apr. 3, 2026

He slowed down on Ogui Road to fling some crisp naira notes at a beggar sprawled by the roadside, near some children hawking peeled oranges.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training