Iranian

American  

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

Also Irani

adjective

1. of or relating to Iran, its inhabitants, or their language.

2. of or relating to the Iranian languages.

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noun

Iranians plural

1. a subbranch of the Indo-European family of languages, including especially Persian, Pashto, Avestan, and Kurdish.

2. an inhabitant of Iran; Persian.

Iranian British  

/ ɪˈreɪnɪən /

noun

1. a native, citizen, or inhabitant of Iran

2. 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)

3. Also: Persian.   Farsi.  the modern Persian language

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adjective

1. relating to, denoting, or characteristic of Iran, its inhabitants, or their language; Persian

2. belonging to or relating to the Iranian branch of Indo-European

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anti-Iranian
  adjective
• pro-Iranian
  adjective
• pseudo-Iranian
  adjective
• trans-Iranian
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Iranians
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Iranian

First recorded in 1835–45; Iran + -ian

Example Sentences

Many of those executed in recent weeks were arrested following those protests in January, but others had been in Iranian jails for longer—in some cases for years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

But it couldn’t get the ball past Iranian keeper Alireza Beiranvand.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 21, 2026

Iranian football officials have publicly complained about the arrangements, arguing that the schedule places additional strain on players compared with some rival teams.

From Barron's • Jun. 21, 2026

President Trump said he told Iranian officials about the Strait of Hormuz.

From Salon • Jun. 21, 2026

She was half Iranian and half Italian, with long, dark hair and warm eyes that always fascinated me.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore