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 WebLaura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 Nov. 2023
The tale begins in another castle, this one in the island kingdom of Rosas, a cosmopolitan Mediterranean melting pot whose Moorish architecture evokes the Iberian peninsula, populated by people of many skin tones, and with a culture that blends the influence of Islamic Africa with Spain and beyond.
—Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023
And, as Reuters reported, more than 6.4 million travelers paid the Iberian nation a visit in the first five months of 2023, up from 5.7 million during the same time period in 2019, prior to the pandemic.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 10 Nov. 2023
The film, which will be released Nov. 22, is set in the Iberian peninsula and tells the story of the magical Kingdom of Rosas.
—Chelsea Hylton, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2023
Rosa said the initial European rollout will be across WBD’s continental footprint, including the Nordic and Iberian regions, as well as the Netherlands and Central and Eastern Europe.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2023
Before the Roman Empire came to rule over the Iberian peninsula, Celtic peoples lived in modern-day Spain, as well as other regions throughout Europe.
—Christopher Parker, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Sep. 2023
Each spa offering is individualized and combines ancient Iberian practices with newer innovation.
—Meena Thiruvengadam, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2023
The Iberian orca is a subpopulation of the Atlantic orca population.
—USA TODAY, 8 July 2023
Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 Nov. 2023
Related Jesús López, the Chairman and CEO of Universal Latin America and Iberian Peninsula, kicked off the evening with a powerful speech that resonated with the audience.
—Ingrid Fajardo, Billboard, 14 Nov. 2023
Only 10 years before, on the far Western edge of the Muslim world, Ferdinand III of Castile — the patron saint of what would be called La Reconquista — had, with the exception of Granada, brought five and a half centuries of Islamic rule on the Iberian Peninsula to an end in Seville.
—Aatish Taseer, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023
For one, Granada in southeastern Spain wasn’t labeled with the same flag as other Spanish kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula, as Clausen tells the Los Angeles Times.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Nov. 2023
Granada in southeastern Spain was labeled with a different flag than the other Spanish kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2023
Victor Gonzales has been named President of Virgin Music Group Latin America & Iberian Peninsula.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 19 Oct. 2023
Its findings counter the prevailing wisdom that hunter-gatherers stuck close to the Mediterranean and Atlantic shorelines of the Iberian Peninsula, which include modern-day Spain and Portugal.
—Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 9 Oct. 2023
Individuals in the Pacific Northwest have been known to play with buoys and crab traps, while a group of Iberian orcas has been ramming into boats in what some have called playful behavior (though researchers aren’t entirely sure of the animals’ motivation).
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Oct. 2023
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Adjective
Archaeologists believed that their culture had a mixture of traits from local Iberian populations and Phoenicians arriving from countries in the eastern coast of the Mediterranean.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 Nov. 2023
The tale begins in another castle, this one in the island kingdom of Rosas, a cosmopolitan Mediterranean melting pot whose Moorish architecture evokes the Iberian peninsula, populated by people of many skin tones, and with a culture that blends the influence of Islamic Africa with Spain and beyond.
—Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023
And, as Reuters reported, more than 6.4 million travelers paid the Iberian nation a visit in the first five months of 2023, up from 5.7 million during the same time period in 2019, prior to the pandemic.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 10 Nov. 2023
The film, which will be released Nov. 22, is set in the Iberian peninsula and tells the story of the magical Kingdom of Rosas.
—Chelsea Hylton, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2023
Rosa said the initial European rollout will be across WBD’s continental footprint, including the Nordic and Iberian regions, as well as the Netherlands and Central and Eastern Europe.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2023
Before the Roman Empire came to rule over the Iberian peninsula, Celtic peoples lived in modern-day Spain, as well as other regions throughout Europe.
—Christopher Parker, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Sep. 2023
Each spa offering is individualized and combines ancient Iberian practices with newer innovation.
—Meena Thiruvengadam, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2023
The Iberian orca is a subpopulation of the Atlantic orca population.
—USA TODAY, 8 July 2023
Noun
The Tartessos were a historical civilization settled in the southern Iberian Peninsula from the 9th to 5th centuries BCE during the Iron Age.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 Nov. 2023
Related Jesús López, the Chairman and CEO of Universal Latin America and Iberian Peninsula, kicked off the evening with a powerful speech that resonated with the audience.
—Ingrid Fajardo, Billboard, 14 Nov. 2023
Only 10 years before, on the far Western edge of the Muslim world, Ferdinand III of Castile — the patron saint of what would be called La Reconquista — had, with the exception of Granada, brought five and a half centuries of Islamic rule on the Iberian Peninsula to an end in Seville.
—Aatish Taseer, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023
For one, Granada in southeastern Spain wasn’t labeled with the same flag as other Spanish kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula, as Clausen tells the Los Angeles Times.
—Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Nov. 2023
Granada in southeastern Spain was labeled with a different flag than the other Spanish kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2023
Victor Gonzales has been named President of Virgin Music Group Latin America & Iberian Peninsula.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 19 Oct. 2023
Its findings counter the prevailing wisdom that hunter-gatherers stuck close to the Mediterranean and Atlantic shorelines of the Iberian Peninsula, which include modern-day Spain and Portugal.
—Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 9 Oct. 2023
Individuals in the Pacific Northwest have been known to play with buoys and crab traps, while a group of Iberian orcas has been ramming into boats in what some have called playful behavior (though researchers aren’t entirely sure of the animals’ motivation).
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Oct. 2023
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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.
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Iberia, peninsula in Europe
Noun (2)
Iberia, ancient region of the Caucasus
Dictionary Entries Near Iberian
Cite this Entry
“Iberian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Iberian. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Iberian
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