Pahlavi

¹

[pah-luh-vee]

noun

1. the Indo-European, Iranian language of the Zoroastrian literature of the 3rd to the 10th centuries.

2. the script used in writing this language, derived from the Aramaic alphabet.

Pahlavi

²

Or Pah·le·vi

[pah-luh-vee]

noun

plural

Pahlavis 

1. Muhammad Riza (or Reza) 1919–80, shah of Iran 1941–79; in exile after 1979 (son of Riza Shah Pahlavi).

2. Riza (or Reza) Shah, 1877–1944, shah of Iran 1925–41.

3. (lowercase),  a former gold coin of Iran, equal to 20 rials.

Pahlavi

¹

/ ˈpɑːləvɪ /

noun

1. Mohammed Reza (ˈriːzə). 1919–80, shah of Iran (1941–79); forced into exile (1979) during civil unrest following which an Islamic republic was established led by the Ayatollah Khomeini

2. his father, Reza. 1877–1944, shah of Iran (1925–41). Originally an army officer, he gained power by a coup d'état (1921) and was chosen shah by the National Assembly. He reorganized the army and did much to modernize Iran

Pahlavi

²

/ ˈpɑːləvɪ /

noun

1. the Middle Persian language, esp as used in classical Zoroastrian and Manichean literature

Word History and Origins

Origin of Pahlavi¹

First recorded in 1765–75, Pahlavi is from the Persian word Pahlavī Parthian

Word History and Origins

Origin of Pahlavi¹

C18: from Persian pahlavī, from Old Persian Parthava _Parthia

Example Sentences

Perhaps no less important, this compendium captures both the end of the Pahlavi monarchy and the start of the theocracy that still governs Iran, granting viewers an often telling glimpse of Persian society in flux.

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After a devastating earthquake in 1962, Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi quietly invited Israeli experts to advise Iran on modernizing its water infrastructure.

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"The people have to choose," he says, though he hopes they choose exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi who also lives in the United States.

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Right now there are different options, including Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the former Shah of Iran, who is now living abroad.

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For example, the Iranian former crown prince Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's former Shah, who was overthrown in the country's 1979 Islamic revolution.

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