Rupee Meaning
/ˌɹuːˈpiː/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe common name for the monetary currencies used in modern India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, the Seychelles, or Sri Lanka.
nounA silver coin circulating in India between the 16th and 20th centuries, weighing one tola (formerly 170–180 troy grains; from 1833, 180 troy grains).
Sentence Examples
He didn't have a single rupee.
CEFR Practice Quiz
She paid fifty ____ for the beautiful silk scarf in the Indian market.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The tourist exchanged dollars for ____ at the airport before traveling into the city.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"In fact, the visible appearance of the iron is a symbol; it is not what it ultimately is. To take an analogy we are given a ten-rupee note. He knows it truly who at sight recognizes the piece of paper as a symbol of unity that represents ten separate silver coins."
— 1937, Rabindranath Tagore, “Lecture II: Supreme Man”, in Man: Lectures Delivered at the Andhra University under the Terms of the Sir Alladi Krishnaswamy Endowment (Andhra University Series; no. 16), Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh: Kitabistan, published 1946, →OCLC, pages 37–38:
"In the fifth and sixth [standard] I obtained scholarships of rupees four and ten respectively, an achievement for which I have to thank good luck more than my merit."
— 1948, Mohandas K[aramchand] Gandhi, “At the High School”, in Mahadev Desai, transl., Gandhi’s Autobiography, or, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Washington, D.C.: Public Affairs Press, →OCLC; reprinted as An Autobiography; or The Story of My Experiments with Truth, New York, N.Y.: Dover Publications, 2007, →ISBN, page 12:
"There are no precise estimates available about the capital requirements of agricultural and rural development in India. But the amount required is in hundreds of thousands of crores of rupees."
— 1999, Katar Singh, “Financing Rural Development”, in Rural Development: Principles, Policies and Management, 2nd edition, New Delhi: SAGE Publications, published 2005, →ISBN, page 290:
"The Seychelles rupee was allowed to depreciate in 2006 after being overvalued for years and fell by 10% in the first 9 months of 2007. Despite these actions, the Seychelles economy has struggled to maintain its gains and in 2008 suffered from food and oil price shocks, a foreign exchange shortage, high inflation, large financing gaps, and the global recession."
— 2013, “Strategic and Development Profiles”, in Seychelles Business Law Handbook, volumes 1 (Strategic Information and Basic Laws), Washington, D.C.: International Business Publications, →ISBN, page 15:
"Sadhana and Sanjeev Prasad, who live in Haridwar, a city in northern Uttarakhand state, filed a petition this month seeking 50 million Indian rupees (about $643,000) in damages from their son, 35, and his wife, 31."
— 2022 May 17, Esha Mitra and Jessie Yeung, “Indian couple sue only son for not giving them grandchildren”, in CNN:
Explore More A2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
She paid fifty ____ for the beautiful silk scarf in the Indian market.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The tourist exchanged dollars for ____ at the airport before traveling into the city.