livre

[ lee-ver; French lee-vruh ]

noun

, plural li·vres [lee, -verz, lee, -v, r, uh].

1. a former money of account and group of coins of France, issued in coin form first in gold, then in silver, finally in copper, and discontinued in 1794.

livre

/ livrə; ˈliːvrə /

noun

1. a former French unit of money of account, equal to 1 pound of silver

Word History and Origins

Origin of livre¹

1545–55; < Middle French, Old French < Latin lībra balance, pound

Word History and Origins

Origin of livre¹

C16: via Old French from Latin lībra the Roman pound

Example Sentences

Michael Pietsch, the chief executive of Hachette Book Group, is stepping down from his role and will become the company’s chairman, Hachette and its parent company, Hachette Livre, announced Tuesday.

From New York Times

So, I’m eager to try Careau’s English version, perhaps with an occasional glance at my ancient Livre de Poche editions.

From Washington Post

A livre was worth about three cents now.

From Literature

These things “did not exist in France or were at the embryonic stage” just a few years ago, said François de Voyer, 38, a host and financial backer of Livre Noir, a year-old YouTube channel focusing on politicians on the right and far right.

From New York Times

“If public opinion is at this level, it’s because Zemmour has been talking about it for such a long time,” Erik Tegnér, a 28-year-old who runs Livre Noir, a new right-wing media outlet on YouTube, told me.

From New York Times