Iranian

Language: en

🇬🇧 /ɪˈreɪnɪən/ 🇺🇸 /ˌɪˈrɑniːən/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    A native or inhabitant of Iran, or a person of Iranian descent.
  2. adjective
    Of or relating to Iran, its people, culture, language, or government.
  3. noun
    The Iranian language family, a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages including Persian, Kurdish, Pashto, Balochi, and others.
  4. adjective
    Of or relating to the Iranian language family or any of its member languages.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable Plural: Iranians

Collocations

Iranian peopleIranian cultureIranian governmentIranian cuisineIranian revolutionIranian nuclear program

Derivatives

IranIranic

Synonyms

Persian

Commonly confused

Persian
EN: 'Persian' refers specifically to the dominant ethnic group and historical empire, while 'Iranian' is the broader national term for all citizens of Iran regardless of ethnicity.
Iraqi
EN: 'Iraqi' refers to a person or thing from Iraq, a different country; the similar spelling of Iran and Iraq causes frequent confusion.

Spelling tips

EN: Always capitalize 'Iranian' as it is a proper adjective/noun. Do not confuse with 'Iraqi' (from Iraq) or 'Irish' (from Ireland).

💬 Examples

  1. The Iranian living next door has been in the United States for over twenty years.

  2. Iranian cuisine is known for its use of saffron, pomegranates, and fresh herbs.

  3. Persian is the most widely spoken of the Iranian languages.

  4. Kurdish is an Iranian language spoken across several countries in the Middle East.