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Definition of yuan

yuan

/juːˈɑːn/
yu · an
Plural:yuan
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yuan Lexical Profile

yuan Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

The basic unit of currency in the People's Republic of China.

Example

"She exchanged her euros for yuan before traveling to Shanghai for the business conference."

2

The imperial dynasty of China spanning from 1279 to 1368, established by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan.

Example

"During the Yuan dynasty, the Silk Road facilitated extensive cultural and economic exchange between East Asia and Europe."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for yuan

Word Nuance & Usage

When discussing Chinese money, 'yuan' is the base unit of account used for counting amounts, whereas 'renminbi' is the official name of the currency system itself.

• Rhymes for yuan

• Nearby Words

ypsilanti
ystad
yu choy
yuan
yuan river
yuba
yuba river

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from Mandarin Chinese 'yuán' (元), literally meaning 'round' or 'round coin'. The name of the Yuan dynasty derives from the same character meaning 'first' or 'origin', chosen by Kublai Khan from the I Ching.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Yuan. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/yuan
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