Arab

1 of 2

noun

Ar·​ab ˈa-rəb 

ˈer-əb;

 dialectal also  ˈā-ˌrab

1

a

: a member of an Arabic-speaking people

b

: a member of the Semitic people of the Arabian Peninsula

2

: arabian horse

Arab adjective

Arab

2 of 2

abbreviation

Arabian; Arabic

Examples of Arab in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

More than 40,000 American service members and civilians — as well as billions of dollars in military equipment — are in the Middle East, spread out across bases in Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. —Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 20 June 2025

As Israel was bombing targets in Iran this week to neutralize its nuclear program and the Iranians were firing missiles at Israel, U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, was in the Middle East listening to leaders in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saudi Arabia. —Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2025

The missiles do not discriminate—neither between men and women, children and the elderly, nor between Jew and Arab. —Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2025

The lion's share of that investment came from a single international project finance deal in Egypt by a sovereign investment fund in the United Arab Emirates. —Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 19 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Latin Arabus, Arabs, from Greek Arab-, Araps, of Semitic origin; akin to Akkadian Arabu, Aribi desert nomads, Arabic A'rāb Bedouins

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing Arab

• anti-Arab
• Arab Spring

Rhymes for Arab

• scarab

Kids Definition

Arab

noun

Ar·​ab

ˈar-əb

1

a

: a member of the Semitic people of the Arabian Peninsula

b

: a member of an Arabic-speaking people

2

: arabian horse

Arab adjective