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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With fasting through the days and reflective night prayers, interspersed with delightful iftars, the month goes by quickly. Austin American-Statesman, 19 Mar. 2024 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 See all Example Sentences for iftar 

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 21 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!