# Iranian

/ˌɪˈɹɑniən/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/iranian
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. relating to Iran

adjective · CEFR A2

relating to the country of Iran, its people, or its culture.

For teachers: pertaining to the modern nation-state of Iran, its inhabitants, or its cultural heritage.

- We enjoyed a delicious meal at a local Iranian restaurant last night.
- The museum is hosting a special exhibition of Iranian cinema, focusing on directors who gained international acclaim in the 1990s.

### 2. linguistics

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

relating to a group of languages spoken in parts of the Middle East and Central Asia.

For teachers: pertaining to the Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family, including Persian, Pashto, and Kurdish.

- Scholars study ancient Iranian languages to understand the history of the region.
- The linguistic survey identified several endangered Iranian dialects spoken in the remote mountainous regions of Tajikistan.

### 3. a person

noun · CEFR A2

a person from Iran or someone who has Iranian citizenship.

For teachers: a citizen of Iran or a person of Iranian descent.

- My neighbor is an Iranian who moved here to study engineering.
- The conference brought together Iranians from the diaspora to discuss economic development and cultural preservation.

## Examples

- My new neighbor is an Iranian who moved here last year.
- The gallery is hosting an exhibition featuring several Iranian artists who live and work in Tehran.
- While many people associate the term with modern Persian speakers, an Iranian might also identify with various ethnic subgroups that share the broad cultural and historical heritage of the plateau.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.