iran

IPA/ɪˈrɑːn/
KK[ˌɪrˈɑn]IPA/ɪˈrɑːn/

iran — noun

1. A country in Asia, with Tehran as its capital city. It sits between Iraq and Afg

1.nounA1
Definition

A country in Asia, with Tehran as its capital city. It sits between Iraq and Afghanistan, with the Caspian Sea to the north.

Example

Iran is a large country with mountains, deserts, and big cities like Tehran.

noun as subject of copular description

Reza was born in Iran but moved to Germany when he was twelve.

born in / moved from [country]

Common collocations
  • in Iran
  • from Iran
  • visit Iran
  • capital of Iran
  • people of Iran
Synonyms
  • Persia

    historical name; used for the region before 1935, still seen in cultural contexts like 'Persian art' or 'Persian poetry'

Grammar Patterns

capitalised country name

Usage Note

Iran was called Persia in English until 1935. You may still see 'Persia' in books about history or art, but the official name of the country today is Iran.

Common Mistakes

Iran and Iraq are the same country.
Iran and Iraq are two different countries next to each other.
Iran and Iraq share a border but are separate nations.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Persia is the historical English name for the region, still used today when talking about ancient history (the Persian Empire), traditional art (Persian carpets), or literature (Persian poetry). The modern country is called Iran in all official contexts, such as news reports, travel guides, and government documents. 'Islamic Republic of Iran' is the country's full official name, but in everyday conversation, most people simply say Iran. A traveller would say 'I am going to Iran', not 'I am going to Persia', but they might buy a Persian carpet while they are there.

Persia ↗Islamic Republic of Iran

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • the Islamic Republic of Iran
  • the people of Iran

Prepositions

Etymology

Old PersianMiddle PersianEnglish

Iran comes from the Persian word 'Īrān', meaning 'land of the Aryans'. The name has been used by people living in the region for over a thousand years. Western countries called the country 'Persia' (from the Greek 'Persis', named after the Pars province) until 1935, when the government asked other nations to use the local name Iran.