Hazara

American  

[huh-zahr-uh] / həˈzɑr ə /

noun

plural

Hazara, Hazaras

1. an Iranian ethnolinguistic group in central Afghanistan, north Pakistan, and Iran, most of whom are Shiʿite Muslims.

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Etymology

Origin of Hazara

From Persian hazār “a thousand, a military unit of a thousand soldiers,” from Middle Persian

Example Sentences

A doctor from a hospital in Herat province told the BBC the victims were Hazara Shia Muslims.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

The city grabbed international attention in 2001, when the Sunni Pashtun Taliban authorities destroyed two large Buddha statues cherished by the predominantly Shia Hazara community in the region.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

For example, I advocate on behalf of a group of Hazara women who previously worked in the security sector.

From Slate • Aug. 23, 2023

At least 11 carriages of the train, the Hazara Express, with at least 950 passengers onboard, fell off the tracks near the town of Nawabshah, local news media reported.

From New York Times • Aug. 6, 2023

Across the stream, a group of local Hazara boys were picking pattles of dried cow dung from the ground and stowing them into burlap sacks tethered to their backs.

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini