Pahlavi

¹ American  

[pah-luh-vee] / ˈpɑ ləˌvi /

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.

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Pahlavi ² American  

[pah-luh-vee] / ˈpɑ ləˌvi /

Or Pahlevi

noun

Pahlavis plural

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.

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Pahlavi ¹ British  

/ 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

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Pahlavi ² British  

/ ˈpɑːləvɪ /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Pahlavis
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Pahlavi

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

Example Sentences

According to his official website, Khamenei first met the founder of the republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, decades before the 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled US-backed shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026

He is an enthusiastic supporter of Reza Pahlavi, the crown prince of Iran before the 1979 revolution.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Reza Pahlavi, the eldest son of the last shah of Iran and pretender to the throne, was a scheduled speaker, and the event was packed with Iranian monarchists.

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026

In 1979 Americans immediately felt the malign effects of that year’s Islamic revolution, which replaced the autocratic but modernizing Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi with the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

But you would climb up and reach the Pahlavi, then the first big shelf of American dynasty writers like Stan Lee.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri