Iranian

[ ih-rey-nee-uhn, ih-rah-, ahy-rey- ]
/ ɪˈreɪ ni ən, ɪˈrɑ-, aɪˈreɪ- /

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.

QUIZZES

DON’T VACILLATE! VANQUISH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

It’d be a real faux pas to miss this quiz on the words from August 3–9, 2020!
Question 1 of 7
What does “vacillate” mean?
to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute.
to cause to be empty or unoccupied.
to assent tacitly; agree; consent.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT
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

OTHER WORDS FROM Iranian

pro-I·ra·ni·an, adjective, nounpseu·do-I·ra·ni·an, adjective, nountrans-I·ra·ni·an, adjective

Words nearby Iranian

irade, Iraki, Iráklion, Iran, Iran-Contra affair, Iranian, Iranian Plateau, Iran-Iraq War, Irapuato, Iraq, Iraqi
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for Iranian

British Dictionary definitions for Iranian

Iranian
/ (ɪˈreɪnɪən) /

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