Kurds

Cultural

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

The authorities in this autonomous region are Iraqi Kurds, who desperately want to stay out of the war next door.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

We meet Bloori, 53, in northern Iraq at a tented camp for Iranian Kurds where he is training a new generation of Peshmerga – "those who face death".

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

She is one of thousands of Iranian Kurds opposed to the Islamic republic and who are living in exile in neighbouring Iraq.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

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

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023