rupee

American  

[roo-pee, roo-pee] / ruˈpi, ˈru pi /

noun

1. a cupronickel coin and monetary unit of India, Nepal, and Pakistan, equal to 100 paise. R., Re.

2. a cupronickel coin and monetary unit of Mauritius, the Seychelles, and Sri Lanka, equal to 100 cents.

3. Also called rufiyaa.  a coin and monetary unit of the Maldives, equal to 100 laris.

4. a former monetary unit of Bhutan, equal to 100 naye paise.

---

rupee British  

/ ruːˈpiː /

noun

1. the standard monetary unit of India, Nepal, and Pakistan (divided into 100 paise), Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and the Seychelles (divided into 100 cents)

---

Etymology

Origin of rupee

First recorded in 1605–15, rupee is from the Hindi word rupayā

Example Sentences

India’s central bank rate meets Wednesday as policymakers look to balance growing downside risks to the economy from the Middle East conflict against the threat of an inflationary shock and weakness in the rupee.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

The Reserve Bank of India capped net open rupee positions at $100 million by April 10, causing the dollar to fall 1.6% against the rupee.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

The Indian rupee and most other Asian currencies weakened against the dollar amid worries over economic growth in the region.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

The rupee keeps falling anyway because no one wants to invest in India.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

There was the time when we worked so well—or the stones were so kind—that we earned a rupee in a single day.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya