iftar

noun

if·​tar ˈif-ˌtär How to pronounce iftar (audio)
plural iftars
: a meal taken by Muslims at sundown to break the daily fast during Ramadan
When we returned to Alexandria, in the late afternoon, the streets were deserted. It was the holy month of Ramadan. Most people had rushed home for the iftar, the breaking of the fast that lasts from sunrise to sunset.Amos Elon
Most of the time, iftars are family gatherings, held in homes or mosques during the holy month of Ramadan as people sit down to break the daily fast.The Arab American News

Examples of iftar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Providing free iftar to the poor is common in Muslim communities, and the practice of zakat, or charitable giving, is one of the foundations of Islam. Liam Stack Stephanie Keith, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024 Even at the iftar, all the Jewish guests were activists. Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 28 Mar. 2024 After the iftar, hundreds of seers marched to Mr. Ali’s home to break the Hindu Ekadashi fast with seviyan, a traditional sweet prepared by Muslims on festive occasions. Shweta Desai, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Jan. 2024 For the past 30 years, Rizwan Mosque has hosted iftars every Saturday of Ramadan, Zafar said. Austindedios, oregonlive, 18 Apr. 2023 Abouhaiba said as part of the event, both Muslim and non-Muslim students were invited to the evening iftar — the meal to break one’s fast. Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2023 The cafeteria iftar, Sobh said, provided an environment that’s wholesome enough for parent approval and still genuinely enjoyable. Miriam Marini, Detroit Free Press, 27 Apr. 2022 Charity is an important component of the holy month and each year soup kitchens lay out free iftars, the meal eaten after sunset to end the daily fast. Sophia Saifi, CNN, 19 Apr. 2023 The free meal — an iftar for passing travelers — was financed by Hasoba el-Kabashi, a local entrepreneur and the owner of the mansion. New York Times, 28 Apr. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'iftar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of iftar was in 1832

Dictionary Entries Near iftar

Cite this Entry

“Iftar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iftar. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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