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.
On Friday, the staff had finished their iftar meal, ending their daily fast for Ramadan, and were bedding down for the night. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026 Across the Gulf, families are still gathering for Ramadan iftars. — Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 3 Mar. 2026 Three years later, the two crossed paths again when Aliyu picked up then-mayoral candidate Mamdani in his taxicab to attend an iftar. — Katherine Koretski, CNN Money, 20 Mar. 2026 Kaziha was also known for feeding hundreds during iftar when worshippers would break their first fast during Ramadan. — Emma Bowman, NPR, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for iftar

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Arabic ifṭār, noun of action from aftara "to break a fast," derivative of faṭara "to break, split"

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of iftar was in 1832

Rhymes for iftar

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Browse Nearby Words

if someone must
iftar
if the cap fits
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Cite this Entry

“Iftar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iftar. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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