Ibe·ri·an
ī-ˈbir-ē-ən 
1
a
: of or relating to the peoples anciently inhabiting parts of the peninsula comprising Spain and Portugal or to their languages
The people known to scholars as Iberians seem to have been located primarily along the east coast of Spain … . Hundreds of Iberian inscriptions have been found throughout this entire region, showing the presence of a common language.—
Justin St. P. Walsh
Justin St. P. Walsh
b
: of or relating to ancient Iberia (see Iberia sense 1)
… we prefer a short detour to the south of the paved highway to the village of Tricio, built over the ruins of an ancient Iberian city.—David M. Gitlitz and Linda Kay Davidson
David M. Gitlitz and Linda Kay Davidson2
: of or relating to Spain, Portugal, or the Basque region or to their inhabitants
modern Iberian cuisine
IBS affects up to 7.8% of the total Iberian population (Spain, Portugal and Andorra) …—PR Newswire Europe (London)
see also iberian peninsula
PR Newswire Europe (London)1
a
: a member of one or more peoples anciently inhabiting parts of the peninsula comprising Spain and Portugal
b
: a native or inhabitant of Spain or Portugal or the Basque region
2
: one or more of the languages of the ancient Iberians
: of or relating to the Caucasus of Asia between the Black and Caspian seas or to its inhabitants
From the Iberian Caucasus, the most lofty and craggy mountains of Asia …—Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon
: a member of one or more peoples anciently inhabiting the Caucasus in Asia between the Black and Caspian seas
Examples of Iberian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebBridget Alex, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024
Some establishments, like the Iberian restaurant Lita in Aberdeen Township, New Jersey, respond to industry challenges by reimagining their labor practices.
—Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
In 1542, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, an Iberian soldier, led the first European expedition along the coast of present-day California with the goal of claiming the land for Spain.
—Jerry Rice, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
But as Romanticism swept the Iberian peninsula in the 19th century, neo-Moorish splendor became all the rage.
—Sarah Khan, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Dec. 2023
For the past 20 years, the Iberian nation has also permitted single-estate wines of high quality to be labeled with the special vino de pago (V.P.) designation, which indicates an exclusive area limited to the confines of a wine estate.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 19 Feb. 2024
There are three types of lynxes other than the bobcat: the Canadian lynx, the Iberian lynx and the Eurasian lynx.
—The Arizona Republic, 25 Jan. 2024
Reservoirs in the region of Catalonia have fallen to 16 percent of capacity, and the Iberian peninsula is at its driest point in 1,200 years.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Feb. 2024
Her face, with its pinhole eyes and rudimentary modeling, reveals the recent influence on Picasso of ancient Iberian sculptures and Romanesque carvings.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2024
Katie Wiseman, The Courier-Journal, 4 Apr. 2024
Jesús López, chairman/CEO of Universal Music Latin America and Iberian Peninsula, has received a special honor from the King and Queen of Spain.
—Griselda Flores, Billboard, 3 Apr. 2024
Their sounds pull from the rich heritage of flamenco, a musical genre born of Gitanos (Romani people) arriving in the Iberian Peninsula.
—Sophie Yun Mancini, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Mar. 2024
The small plates range from meats – Iberian ham (jamón), cured pork loin (lomo) and spicy Basque chorizo (chistorra) wrapped in potato – to a local Idiázabal cheese with black truffle, creamy chicken croquettes (croquetas) and a traditional Spanish potato omelette (tortilla).
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024
Portugal is having a major moment in the (Iberian) sun.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 18 Mar. 2024
Based on the astrolabe’s engravings, Gigante—an expert on Islamic scientific instruments—concluded that it was likely made in the Iberian Peninsula’s Andalusian region in the 11th century.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024
By Sallie Tisdale Orcas sank another yacht near the Iberian Peninsula in November.
—Sallie Tisdale, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024
This technique likely owed its provenance to the culinary knowhow of the Moors, who took control of the Iberian Peninsula from the Visigoths at the beginning of the eighth century and held it, under a series of regimes and to varying extents, until the end of the 15th.
—Benjamin Dubow, Longreads, 20 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Working in his laboratory at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Emslie measured mercury values in human remains from 23 Iberian sites used between about 6,300 and 1,600 years ago and published their findings in a series of studies between 2015 and 2022.
—Bridget Alex, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024
Some establishments, like the Iberian restaurant Lita in Aberdeen Township, New Jersey, respond to industry challenges by reimagining their labor practices.
—Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
In 1542, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, an Iberian soldier, led the first European expedition along the coast of present-day California with the goal of claiming the land for Spain.
—Jerry Rice, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
But as Romanticism swept the Iberian peninsula in the 19th century, neo-Moorish splendor became all the rage.
—Sarah Khan, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Dec. 2023
For the past 20 years, the Iberian nation has also permitted single-estate wines of high quality to be labeled with the special vino de pago (V.P.) designation, which indicates an exclusive area limited to the confines of a wine estate.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 19 Feb. 2024
There are three types of lynxes other than the bobcat: the Canadian lynx, the Iberian lynx and the Eurasian lynx.
—The Arizona Republic, 25 Jan. 2024
Reservoirs in the region of Catalonia have fallen to 16 percent of capacity, and the Iberian peninsula is at its driest point in 1,200 years.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Feb. 2024
Her face, with its pinhole eyes and rudimentary modeling, reveals the recent influence on Picasso of ancient Iberian sculptures and Romanesque carvings.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2024
Noun
The movie takes place in the fictional Kingdom of Rosas, located in the Mediterranean Sea off the Iberian Peninsula, according to IMDB.
—Katie Wiseman, The Courier-Journal, 4 Apr. 2024
Jesús López, chairman/CEO of Universal Music Latin America and Iberian Peninsula, has received a special honor from the King and Queen of Spain.
—Griselda Flores, Billboard, 3 Apr. 2024
Their sounds pull from the rich heritage of flamenco, a musical genre born of Gitanos (Romani people) arriving in the Iberian Peninsula.
—Sophie Yun Mancini, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Mar. 2024
The small plates range from meats – Iberian ham (jamón), cured pork loin (lomo) and spicy Basque chorizo (chistorra) wrapped in potato – to a local Idiázabal cheese with black truffle, creamy chicken croquettes (croquetas) and a traditional Spanish potato omelette (tortilla).
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024
Portugal is having a major moment in the (Iberian) sun.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 18 Mar. 2024
Based on the astrolabe’s engravings, Gigante—an expert on Islamic scientific instruments—concluded that it was likely made in the Iberian Peninsula’s Andalusian region in the 11th century.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024
By Sallie Tisdale Orcas sank another yacht near the Iberian Peninsula in November.
—Sallie Tisdale, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024
This technique likely owed its provenance to the culinary knowhow of the Moors, who took control of the Iberian Peninsula from the Visigoths at the beginning of the eighth century and held it, under a series of regimes and to varying extents, until the end of the 15th.
—Benjamin Dubow, Longreads, 20 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Iberian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near Iberian
Cite this Entry
“Iberian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Iberian. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share