Persian

noun

Per·​sian ˈpər-zhən 

 especially British  -shən

1

: one of the people of Persia: such as

a

: one of the ancient Iranians who under Cyrus and his successors founded an empire in southwest Asia

b

: a member of one of the peoples forming the modern Iranian nationality

2

a

: any of several Iranian languages dominant in Persia at different periods

b

: the modern language of Iran and western Afghanistan see Indo-European Languages Table

3

: a thin soft silk formerly used especially for linings

4

: persian cat

Persian adjective

Examples of Persian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Persian Gulf Star gas condensate refinery in Bandar Abbas, Iran, on Jan. 9, 2019. —Sam Meredith,natasha Turak, CNBC, 15 May 2025

The arid peninsula off Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf, similar in size to Connecticut, boasts deep reserves of oil and gas that have made the country the fourth-wealthiest in the world by per capita GDP and enriched its rulers, the House of Thani. —Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025

Trump is set to have three days of summits among Persian Gulf rulers. —Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 14 May 2025

Trump also just did what Qatar has been wanting done for years — announcing that the Persian Gulf (as it’s been known since at least 550 B.C.) will henceforth be known as the Arabian Gulf. —Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Persian

• Middle Persian
• Old Persian
• Persian cat
• Persian lamb

Rhymes for Persian

• version
• animadversion
• bioconversion
• cardioversion
• interconversion
• seroconversion
• aspersion
• aversion
• conversion
• dispersion
• diversion
• eversion

Kids Definition

Persian

noun

Per·​sian ˈpər-zhən 

1

: a native or inhabitant of ancient Persia or modern Iran

2

: the language of the Persians

Persian adjective