Iranian

[ih-rey-nee-uh n, ih-rah-, ahy-rey-]

adjective

of or relating to Iran, its inhabitants, or their language.
of or relating to the Iranian languages.

noun

a subbranch of the Indo-European family of languages, including especially Persian, Pashto, Avestan, and Kurdish.
an inhabitant of Iran; Persian.

Also I·ra·ni

[ih-ran-ee, ih-rah-nee, ahy-rey-] /ɪˈræn i, ɪˈrɑ ni, aɪˈreɪ-/ (for defs 1, 4).

Origin of Iranian

First recorded in 1835–45; Iran + -ian

Related formspro-I·ra·ni·an, adjective, nounpseu·do-I·ra·ni·an, adjective, nountrans-I·ra·ni·an, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for iranian

Contemporary Examples

“Under Suleimani several military branches have taken shape [in Iraq] which are run by Iran and the Iranian military,” he said.
What an Iranian Funeral Tells Us About the Wars in Iraq
IranWire
January 6, 2015
A senior Iranian official in Pakistan later confirmed the strike took place, declining to elaborate.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan
Umar Farooq
December 29, 2014
Rights activists like Boledi, the Iranian Baluch dissident living in Sweden, harbor some of the same concerns.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan
Umar Farooq
December 29, 2014
A few weeks later, the militants carried out a series of raids on border posts, killing five Iranian policemen.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan
Umar Farooq
December 29, 2014
Saleem believes that the strike came from a nearby airbase across the Iranian border.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan
Umar Farooq
December 29, 2014

Historical Examples

No doubt there were germs in the early Iranian religion of a priestly system.
History of Religion
Allan Menzies
Airja in Zend stood both for “honourable” and for the name of the Iranian, people.
Sagas from the Far East
Various
By some it is regarded as a cluster of old Iranian crown jewels.
Oriental Rugs
Walter A. Hawley
It may be a copy of a European carpet, or some Indian or Iranian antique.
Oriental Rugs
Walter A. Hawley
Egyptian forms, compared with Semitic and Iranian forms, iii.
Chips from a German Workshop - Volume IV
Max Mller

British Dictionary definitions for iranian

Iranian

noun

a native, citizen, or inhabitant of Iran
a branch of the Indo-European family of languages, divided into West Iranian (including Old Persian, Pahlavi, modern Persian, Kurdish, Baluchi, and Tajik) and East Iranian (including Avestan, Sogdian, Pashto, and Ossetic)
Also: Persian, Farsi the modern Persian language

adjective

relating to, denoting, or characteristic of Iran, its inhabitants, or their language; Persian
belonging to or relating to the Iranian branch of Indo-European

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

Word Origin and History for iranian

Iranian

1841 (adj.); 1873 (n.), from Iran + -ian.

Iranian

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}Iranian

Examples from the Web for iranian

Contemporary Examples

“Under Suleimani several military branches have taken shape [in Iraq] which are run by Iran and the Iranian military,” he said.

A senior Iranian official in Pakistan later confirmed the strike took place, declining to elaborate.

Rights activists like Boledi, the Iranian Baluch dissident living in Sweden, harbor some of the same concerns.

A few weeks later, the militants carried out a series of raids on border posts, killing five Iranian policemen.

Saleem believes that the strike came from a nearby airbase across the Iranian border.

Historical Examples

No doubt there were germs in the early Iranian religion of a priestly system.

Airja in Zend stood both for “honourable” and for the name of the Iranian, people.

By some it is regarded as a cluster of old Iranian crown jewels.

It may be a copy of a European carpet, or some Indian or Iranian antique.

Egyptian forms, compared with Semitic and Iranian forms, iii.

Iranian

Word Origin and History for iranian

Iranian

Origin of Iranian