What does livre mean?
Livre is a historical French term for a unit of money and, in some contexts, a unit of weight. The monetary unit did not have a permanently fixed value: across different periods it could represent a specified number of pounds, with the French franc eventually succeeding it. Consequently, a livre mentioned in an old French account cannot always be translated as exactly one modern pound or franc. English speakers now encounter the term mainly in historical works, translations, and discussions of French monetary history. It is also important not to confuse the English headword with the ordinary modern French word livre, which most commonly means “book.” The term ultimately comes through French from Latin liber, a word associated with a book or written work.
A former French monetary unit whose value varied over time, at periods corresponding to a stated number of pounds.
"The innkeeper charged him twelve livres for supper and lodging."
Historical and chiefly found in English-language historical texts and translations from French.
A former French unit of weight associated with the pound.
"A load of iron was measured by the livre."
This sense is uncommon in modern English.
The plural was used for individual amounts or denominations of the historical unit.
"The treasurer recorded hundreds of livres in outstanding debts."
The French livre was an early French currency whose name could refer to a varying number of pounds, not a single fixed monetary amount.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does livre come from?
The English word comes through French livre, historically a monetary and weight unit, from Latin libra, meaning “balance” or “pound,” with the sense of a unit of weight. Its use as a French monetary unit developed from this earlier measure of weight. The same Latin root also underlies English words such as library, liberate, and liberal, in which it refers originally to books or free men in the Roman social order.
How livre is actually used
The word is historical in English and is chiefly encountered in translated historical texts. In modern French, livre ordinarily means “book” and can also mean “pound” when referring to the currency or a unit of weight.