Persian Gulf

American  

noun

1. an arm of the Arabian Sea, between SW Iran and Arabia. 600 miles (965 km) long.

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Persian Gulf British  

noun

1. a shallow arm of the Arabian Sea between SW Iran and Arabia: linked with the Arabian Sea by the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman; important for the oilfields on its shores. Area: 233 000 sq km (90 000 sq miles)

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Persian Gulf Cultural  

1. Arm of the Indian Ocean between Arabia and Iran.

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The Persian Gulf oil fields are among the most productive in the world.

The Persian Gulf region was dominated by Britain for most of the twentieth century. After Britain's withdrawal in the late 1960s, the United States and the Soviet Union competed for influence in the region. (See Persian Gulf War.)

Example Sentences

Many of the price complaints in business surveys are classic supply constraints: tariffs; Persian Gulf energy volatility; construction materials; tight skilled labor and AI-driven bottlenecks.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026

Nowhere is this more evident than in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow Persian Gulf waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil normally travels.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

Apparel retailers are grappling with the impact of higher costs caused by the war in the Persian Gulf, along with worsened consumer sentiment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

Insurance rates also shot up as dozens of ships have reported attacks in or near the Persian Gulf.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026

The military had been transformed, and with that, the Pentagon confidently turned its attention to the real Persian Gulf.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell