noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌɹuːˈpiː/
Received-Pronunciation:/ɹʊ-/
General-American:/ɹuˈpi/
General-American:/ˈɹupi/
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -iː
rhymes with (US) -uːpi
CMU ARPABET:R UW0 P IY1
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Any of the monetary currencies used in modern India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, the Seychelles, or Sri Lanka.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A silver coin circulating in India between the 16th and 20th centuries, weighing one tola (formerly 170–180 troy grains; from 1833, 180 troy grains).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
the basic unit of money in India; equal to 100 paise
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Indian rupee
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: Indian monetary unit
4
noun
Meaning 4
the basic unit of money in Pakistan; equal to 100 paisa
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Pakistani rupee
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: Pakistani monetary unit
5
noun
Meaning 5
the basic unit of money in Mauritius; equal to 100 cents
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Mauritian rupee
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: Mauritian monetary unit
6
noun
Meaning 6
the basic unit of money in Nepal; equal to 100 paisa
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Nepalese rupee
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: Nepalese monetary unit
7
noun
Meaning 7
the basic unit of money in Seychelles; equal to 100 cents
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Seychelles rupee
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: Seychelles monetary unit
8
noun
Meaning 8
the basic unit of money in Sri Lanka; equal to 100 cents
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Sri Lanka rupee
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: Sri Lankan monetary unit
Narrower terms: cent
History
Etymology
Coined by Sher Shah Suri, the Sultan of the Suri Empire 1540–1545 as Hindustani रुपीया / رُوپِییَہ (rūpīya), variant of रुपया / رُوپَیَہ (rūpaya, “rupee”), from Sanskrit रूप्यक (rūpyaka, “silver coin”), from रूप्य (rūpya, “wrought gold or silver; stamped coin; beautiful, well-shaped; impressed, stamped”). Doublet of rufiyaa and rupiah.
Across languages
Translations
80 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
رُوبِيَّة
(rūbiyya)
— monetary currency
Arabic:
روبيه
— monetary currency
Armenian:
ռուփի
(ṙupʻi)
— monetary currency
Assamese:
ৰুপী
(rupi)
— monetary currency
Assamese:
টকা
(toka)
— monetary currency
Asturian:
rupia
— monetary currency
Belarusian:
ру́пія
(rúpija)
— monetary currency
Bengali:
টাকা
(ṭaka)
— monetary currency
Bengali:
রুপিয়া
(rupiẏa)
— monetary currency
Bulgarian:
ру́пия
(rúpija)
— monetary currency
Burmese:
ရူပီး
(rupi:)
— monetary currency
Catalan:
rúpia
— monetary currency
Chinese Mandarin:
盧比 /卢比
(lúbǐ)
— monetary currency
