Kurds

Cultural  

1. A linguistically and culturally distinct people who inhabit parts of Syria, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and the former Soviet Union. Once part of the Ottoman Empire, they long have sought an independent nation-state, but without success. After his defeat in the Persian Gulf War, Saddam Hussein brutally repressed rebellious Kurds in northern Iraq.

---

Example Sentences

The Iranian Kurds have a tense relationship with the central government and have their own armed groups.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

"Ground forces must intervene, and the Kurds can play an important role in this."

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

The Kurds are stateless, and spread mainly across four countries - Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

Mohsin Khalidi, 63, an Iranian Kurdish poet who has lived in Erbil since 2004, said regime change is a "common desire" among Kurds, but their forces alone cannot achieve it.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

He was the city of kings, and the voice of Scheherazade, the whirling dervishes that leap, the fire worshippers, the nomad Kurds, and the eighteen sheep.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri