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yuan

1 American  
[yoo-ahn, yyahn] / yuˈɑn, yüɑn /

noun

plural

yuan

  1. Also called yuan dollar.  a copper coin of the Republic of China, equal to 100 cents; dollar.

  2. a paper money, brass or cupronickel coin, and monetary unit of the People's Republic of China, equal to 10 jiao or 100 fen.

Yuan 2 American  
[yoo-ahn, yyahn] / yuˈɑn, yüɑn /

noun

(sometimes lowercase)

  1. (in the Republic of China) a department of government; council.

Yüan 3 American  
[yoo-ahn, yyahn] / yuˈɑn, yüɑn /

noun

  1. the Mongol dynasty in China, 1260–1368, founded by Kublai Khan.

  2. Yuan.

Yüan 1 British  
/ ˈjuːˈæn /

noun

  1. the imperial dynasty of China from 1279 to 1368

"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

adjective

  1. of or relating to the Chinese porcelain produced during the Yüan dynasty, characterized by the appearance of under-glaze blue-and-white ware

"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
Yüan 2 British  
/ ˈjuːˈæn, ˈjuːˈɛn /

noun

  1. a river in SE central China, rising in central Guizhou province and flowing northeast to Lake Tungting. Length: about 800 km (500 miles)

"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
yuan 3 British  
/ ˈjuːˈæn /

noun

  1. Also called: renminbi.   renminbi yuan.  the standard monetary unit of China, divided into 10 jiao and 100 fen

"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 yuan

1915–20; < Chinese yuán literally, round, circular; yen 1

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.

They anticipate 1 trillion yuan in fiscal support, a possible 10-basis-point rate cut and a 50-basis-point reserve requirement ratio cut this year.

From The Wall Street Journal

The yuan softened after the People’s Bank of China cut shorting costs for the currency.

From The Wall Street Journal

China’s central bank has started taking steps to check the yuan’s recent advance, dusting off an old playbook that would reduce the cost of betting against the currency.

From The Wall Street Journal

By mid-2025, total household deposits exceeded 160 trillion yuan, with trillions more added in just the first half of the year.

From MarketWatch

Investigators discovered that the account belonged to Blessed Trust, the Hong Kong-based company, which helps clients convert traditional currency, such as yuan, into cryptocurrency and vice versa.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.