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
adjective
Examples of Persian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Obama’s rapprochement with Iran edged the regional balance of power away from the Persian Gulf states and Israel.
—
Trita Parsi, TIME, 1 Aug. 2024
The roads are not in a uniform condition like ancient Roman roads, except for some of the routes built by the Achaemenid Persian Empire around 550 B.C., which were wide enough for armies to pass and also contained periodic weigh stations.
—Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 25 July 2024
The trade’s ripple effects are expanding ever outward, to include rising levels of addiction in wealthy Persian Gulf countries and the appearance of drugmaking labs in neighboring Iraq and as far away as Germany, according to Iraqi and German officials.
—Souad Mekhennet, Washington Post, 25 July 2024
As the water of the Persian Gulf receded from the Iranian coastline, a group of researchers found some of these blobs stuck to the rocky surface.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 24 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for Persian 
Trita Parsi, TIME, 1 Aug. 2024
The roads are not in a uniform condition like ancient Roman roads, except for some of the routes built by the Achaemenid Persian Empire around 550 B.C., which were wide enough for armies to pass and also contained periodic weigh stations.
—Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 25 July 2024
The trade’s ripple effects are expanding ever outward, to include rising levels of addiction in wealthy Persian Gulf countries and the appearance of drugmaking labs in neighboring Iraq and as far away as Germany, according to Iraqi and German officials.
—Souad Mekhennet, Washington Post, 25 July 2024
As the water of the Persian Gulf receded from the Iranian coastline, a group of researchers found some of these blobs stuck to the rocky surface.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 24 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for Persian
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Persian.' 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 Persian
Cite this Entry
“Persian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Persian. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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