Iran

[ ih-ran, ih-rahn, ahy-ran ]

noun
  1. a republic in SW Asia. About 635,000 sq. mi. (1,644,650 sq. km). Capital: Teheran.

Compare Meanings

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

Words Nearby Iran

Other definitions for Iran. (2 of 2)

Iran.

abbreviation
  1. Iranian.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Iran in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Iran

Iran

/ (ɪˈrɑːn) /


noun
  1. a republic in SW Asia, between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf: a monarchy until an Islamic revolution in 1979 headed by the Ayatollah Khomeini when the Shah was obliged to leave the country. Consists chiefly of a high central desert plateau almost completely surrounded by mountains, a semitropical fertile region along the Caspian coast, and a hot and dry area beside the Persian Gulf. Oil is the most important export. Official language: Persian (Iranian or Farsi). Official religion: Muslim majority. Currency: rial. Capital: Tehran. Pop: 79 853 900 (2013 est). Area: 1 647 050 sq km (635 932 sq miles): Former name (until 1935): Persia Official name: Islamic Republic of Iran See also Persian Empire

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Iran

Iran

[ (i-ran, i-rahn, eye-ran) ]


Republic in the Middle East, bordered by Armenia, the Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan to the north; Afghanistan and Pakistan to the east; the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf to the south; and Iraq and Turkey to the west. Its capital and largest city is Teheran.

Notes for Iran

Core of the ancient Persian Empire, Iran was known as Persia until 1935.

Notes for Iran

The United States supported the regime of the shah (king) Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, who was forced by popular opposition to leave the country in 1979.

Notes for Iran

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ruled from 1979 until his death in 1989, imposing strict Islamic law.

Notes for Iran

In 1979, Iranian militants attacked the U.S. embassy and seized hostages, including sixty-two Americans, who were held until 1981.

Notes for Iran

Iraq unsuccessfully invaded Iran in 1980.

Notes for Iran

The Iranian government was widely believed to have controlled the taking of U. S. hostages in Lebanon. (See Iran-Contra affair.)

Notes for Iran

The 1990s saw some moderating elements emerge to challenge the conservative heirs to Khomeini.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.