persia

IPA/ˈpɜː.ʒə/
KK[pˈɚʒə]IPA/ˈpɝː.ʒə/

persia — noun

1. the former name of the country now called Iran, located in southwestern Asia, wh

1.nounB2
Definition

the former name of the country now called Iran, located in southwestern Asia, which was once a powerful ancient empire ruled by dynasties such as the Achaemenids and the Sassanids

Example

The ancient empire of Persia once stretched from India to Greece under King Darius.

collocation: empire of Persia

Sade read several books about the history of Persia before her trip to Tehran.

Common collocations
  • ancient Persia
  • empire of Persia
  • history of Persia
  • old Persia
  • from Persia to Iran
Synonyms
  • Iran

    the modern official name; use Iran for contemporary topics and Persia for historical ones

Grammar Patterns

Persia (no article)

Usage Note

Frequently used in historical contexts. Modern references typically use Iran, though Persia remains in cultural contexts (art, carpets, poetry, history). The adjective Persian is still widely used.

Common Mistakes

I am visiting Persia next month.
I am visiting Iran next month.
Persia is a historical name; modern travelers refer to the country as Iran.

Word family

Etymology

Old PersianGreekLatinEnglish

The name comes from Old Persian Parsa, the name of the region where the Persian people lived. Greek writers turned this into Persis, and Latin borrowed it as Persia. English took the Latin form. The modern name Iran comes from the Middle Persian Eran, meaning 'land of the Aryans.'