Iraq

American  

[ih-rak, ih-rahk] / ɪˈræk, ɪˈrɑk /

Or Irak

noun

1. a republic in SW Asia, N of Saudi Arabia and W of Iran, centering in the Tigris-Euphrates basin of Mesopotamia. 172,000 sq. mi. (445,480 sq. km). Baghdad.

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Iraq British  

/ ɪˈrɑːk /

noun

1. a republic in SW Asia, on the Persian Gulf: coextensive with ancient Mesopotamia; became a British mandate in 1920, independent in 1932, and a republic in 1958. The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait (1990) led to their defeat in the first Gulf War (1991) by US-led UN forces. The second Gulf War (2003) took place when Iraq was invaded by a coalition of US, UK and other forces; government elected in 2005, although there is continuing violence and resistance to the coalition presence; the last coalition troops left the country in 2011. Iraq consists chiefly of the mountains of Kurdistan in the northeast, part of the Syrian Desert, and the lower basin of the Rivers Tigris and Euphrates. Oil is the major export. Official language: Arabic; Kurdish is official in the Kurdish Autonomous Region only. Official religion: Muslim. Currency: dinar. Capital: Baghdad. Pop: 31 858 481 (2013 est). Area: 438 446 sq km (169 284 sq miles)

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Iraq Cultural  

1. Republic in the Middle East, bordered by the Persian Gulf, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia to the south; Jordan and Syria to the west; Turkey to the north; and Iran to the east. Its capital and largest city is Baghdad.

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Discover More

Ruled by Saddam Hussein, a dictator who invaded Iran in 1980 and Kuwait in 1990. (See also Persian Gulf War.)

The ancient civilization of Mesopotamia emerged in the valley between the Euphrates River and Tigris River in what is now Iraq.

Other Word Forms

• anti-Iraq adjective
• pro-Iraq adjective
• trans-Iraq adjective

Compare meaning

How does iraq compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Iran vs. Iraq

Example Sentences

He rose through the ranks of the Revolutionary Guard during the Iraq war.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

When I was in Iraq, on patrol and during emergency responder training, I was given the option of picking my own radio call sign.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

Al-Khazali said he was worried about disruptions to the power supply in the scorching summer months because Iraq, despite its oil reserves, depends partly on imported natural gas to keep power plants running.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Vance built his political brand as an avowed anti-interventionist who wanted to keep America out of any more foreign wars, like in Iraq where he served as a US Marine.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

They, the Kurds, live in the hill country between Iran and Iraq.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri