Arabic

1 of 2

noun

Ar·​a·​bic ˈa-rə-bik 

ˈer-ə-

: a Semitic language originally of the Arabs of the Hejaz and Nejd that is now the prevailing speech of a wide region of southwestern Asia and northern Africa

Arabic

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of, relating to, or constituting the language Arabic

… Arabic neologisms of the nineteenth century …

—Bernard Lewis

His bibliography contains no classical Arabic texts and only a handful of dubiously transliterated recent Arabic titles …

—Pierre Cachia

… edited and reviewed by Arabic scholars in Paris …

—Edwin McDowell

2

: expressed in or utilizing Arabic numerals

21 is an Arabic number.

Arabic notation

3

: of, relating to, or characteristic of Arabia or the Arabs

As Arabic music permeates various other sounds, so are western sounds finding their way into various Arabic musics.

—Hank Bordowitz

The Middle East meets the Wild West in this variation on Arabic hummus.

—Steven Raichlen

There still exist some folk instruments in Portugal whose names indicate their Arabic origin.

—Alexander Buchner

Examples of Arabic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The church sign touts worship services in English, Creole, Spanish, Nigerian and Arabic. —Scott Broden, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

The app supports over a dozen languages, including Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, and Vietnamese. —Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 30 June 2025

Adjective

The fry menu offers Arabic fries with za'atar and date ketchup, Greek fries with oregano, feta, and lemon aioli, Italian fries with Grana Padano and truffle aioli, and Spanish fries with chorizo, manchego, and Spanish aioli. —Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025

German, English, Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic with English subtitles. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Arabic

• Arabic alphabet
• Arabic numeral
• Hindu-Arabic

Kids Definition

Arabic

1 of 2 adjective

Ar·​a·​bic ˈar-ə-bik 

1

: arabian, arab

2

: expressed in or making use of Arabic numerals

Arabic

2 of 2 noun

: a Semitic language that is the chief language of a wide region of southwestern Asia and northern Africa

Medical Definition

arabic

see gum arabic