iftar

American

[if-tahr] / ˈɪf tɑr /

noun

(sometimes initial capital letter) the meal that Muslims eat after sunset during Ramadan to break the day’s fast.

iftar British

/ ˈɪftɑː /

noun

the meal eaten by Muslims to break their fast after sunset every day during Ramadan

"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

Etymology

Origin of iftar

First recorded in 1830–35, iftar is from the Arabic word ʾifṭār “the breaking of the fast”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Six Flags Qiddiya City recently hosted iftar celebrations that marked the end of the daily Ramadan fasts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan was among thousands to attend the Trafalgar Square open iftar organised by the Ramadan Tent Project, which says it aims to improve relations between different communities.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

On Friday, the staff had finished their iftar meal, ending their daily fast for Ramadan, and were bedding down for the night.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

Seated on a thin carpet covering the cardboard floor, Rauzah and her four children share an iftar meal of vegetables and prawns.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

The next event I went to was during Ramadan, an iftar at a Bangladeshi community center on the basement floor of a row house in Flatbush.

From Slate • Nov. 12, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023