name
Common
Iran
ih-RAHN
Iran (name) means a country in the Middle East, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, with Tehran as its capital. Example: “Iran shares borders with Iraq, Turkey, and Pakistan among others.”
name
1
A country in the Middle East, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, with Tehran as its capital.
"The US President himself accused Iran of being behind the provocation, threatening airstrikes on Iran last week – but calling them off just minutes before they were to begin."
— Frederik Pleitgen, US is ‘not in a position to obliterate Iran,’ Iranian foreign minister says (2019)
""Iran is a vast and ancient country in a strategic location in the Middle East. It borders Russia, Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, the Gulf of Oman, and the Persian Gulf.""
— Massoume Price, editor, Iran's Diverse Peoples (2005)
"Iran shares borders with Iraq, Turkey, and Pakistan among others."
"Persian is the main language spoken across Iran."
How to use Iran
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe country previously known in the West as Persia.
Common mistake
The people and adjective form is "Iranian," not "Iranish" or "Iraqi" — don't confuse Iran with its neighbor Iraq.
Easily confused with
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_____ shares borders with Iraq, Turkey, and Pakistan among others.
Etymology
From Persian ایران (Irān), ultimately meaning "land of the Aryans," referring to the ancient Iranian peoples.
Synonyms
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Persia
Islamic Republic of Iran
Related words
Rhymes for Iran
See all rhymes for Iran →Frequently asked questions
What does “Iran” mean?
The word “Iran” means a country in the Middle East, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, with Tehran as its capital. In plain terms, the country previously known in the West as Persia.
How do you pronounce “Iran”?
“Iran” is pronounced ih-RAHN (/ɪˈɹɑːn/ in IPA).
How do you use “Iran” in a sentence?
Here is “Iran” used in a sentence: “Iran shares borders with Iraq, Turkey, and Pakistan among others.”
What part of speech is “Iran”?
“Iran” is a name.
Where does the word “Iran” come from?
The word “Iran” comes from Persian. From Persian ایران (Irān), ultimately meaning "land of the Aryans," referring to the ancient Iranian peoples.
Is “Iran” a common word?
“Iran” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the difference between Iran and Iraq?
They are separate neighbouring countries in the Middle East. Iran, formerly Persia, has Tehran as its capital and is mainly Persian-speaking. Iraq, to Iran's west, has Baghdad as its capital and is mainly Arabic-speaking. The two share a long border and fought a war in the 1980s, but their languages, histories, and cultures differ.
What is the capital of Iran?
Tehran is the capital and largest city of Iran, set in the north of the country near the Alborz mountains. It is the political, economic, and cultural centre, home to millions of people and the seat of the national government. Tehran has served as Iran's capital since the late eighteenth century.
Was Iran once called Persia?
Yes. For centuries the country was known internationally as Persia, after the Pars region and the Persian empires. In 1935 the government formally asked that it be called Iran, meaning 'land of the Aryans', the name locals had long used. Persian still refers to the main language and culture.
What language is spoken in Iran?
The official and most widely spoken language is Persian, known locally as Farsi and written in a modified Arabic script. Iran is also home to speakers of Azeri, Kurdish, Arabic, Balochi, and other languages. Despite the shared script, Persian is unrelated to Arabic and belongs to the Indo-European family.
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