Iberian

1 of 4

adjective (1)

Ibe·​ri·​an ī-ˈbir-ē-ən How to pronounce Iberian (audio)
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
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
2
: 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

Iberian

2 of 4

noun (1)

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

Iberian

3 of 4

adjective (2)

: 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

Iberian

4 of 4

noun (2)

: 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 Web
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 See More

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

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

circa 1618, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (1)

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective (2)

1671, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1601, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Iberian was in 1601

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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