Bab·y·lo·nian
ˌba-bə-ˈlō-nyən 
-nē-ən
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Babylonia or Babylon, the Babylonians, or Babylonian
2
: marked by luxury, extravagance, or the pursuit of sensual pleasure
the Babylonian delights of the city
… the Babylonian halls of the big hotel …—
G. K. Chesterton
G. K. ChestertonExamples of Babylonian in a Sentence
Adjective
the Babylonian glitter of the city's gold coast
Recent Examples on the Web
Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 2 July 2025
The first Temple’s razing, by the Babylonian Empire, occurred in 586 BCE; the second, in 70 CE, was perpetrated by the Romans.
—Avi Shafran, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2024
The tablets most likely come from Sippar, an ancient city southwest of modern-day Baghdad that flourished during the Babylonian Empire, George tells Live Science’s Owen Jarus.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Aug. 2024
The building was destroyed in 586 BCE when Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II sacked Jerusalem for the second time, effectively destroying the Kingdom of Judah.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 25 May 2023
Chris Roush, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026
England and the colonies were still using an old calendar with roots dating back to Babylonian times.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 15 Mar. 2026
While the constellation Aries was visible in the ecliptic starting on March 21, according to Babylonian time, today the constellation Pisces appears on that day instead.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 8 Mar. 2026
Others pushed the exotic limits further with Hindu/Asia or Babylonian/Mesopotamian themes.
—Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026
Research tells us that New Year’s resolutions, a popular noncontractual commitment, began over 3,000 years ago in Babylonian culture and shortly after in other cultures as a way, in general, to atone for questionable practices and/or debt.
—Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
In Babylonian and Assyrian artworks, too, feathers are often seen covering the bodies of deities or embellishing royal crowns.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
But Nehemiah was ordered to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, which had been destroyed during the Babylonian conquest.
—John Fugelsang
september 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025
In fact, the Ancient Sumerians, and their Babylonian successors, mastered date-growing techniques that a modern orchardist would recognize.
—Jacob Jones, JSTOR Daily, 13 Aug. 2025
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Noun
In the Electronic Babylonian Library Platform, study co-author and Assyriologist Enrique Jiménez is digitizing all of the cuneiform text fragments that have been discovered around the world.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 2 July 2025
The first Temple’s razing, by the Babylonian Empire, occurred in 586 BCE; the second, in 70 CE, was perpetrated by the Romans.
—Avi Shafran, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2024
The tablets most likely come from Sippar, an ancient city southwest of modern-day Baghdad that flourished during the Babylonian Empire, George tells Live Science’s Owen Jarus.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Aug. 2024
The building was destroyed in 586 BCE when Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II sacked Jerusalem for the second time, effectively destroying the Kingdom of Judah.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 25 May 2023
Adjective
Even the Hammurabi Code, a set of laws created by the sixth Babylonian king in approximately 1760 bce, established forerunners of today’s interest rate and minimum wage laws.
—Chris Roush, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026
England and the colonies were still using an old calendar with roots dating back to Babylonian times.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 15 Mar. 2026
While the constellation Aries was visible in the ecliptic starting on March 21, according to Babylonian time, today the constellation Pisces appears on that day instead.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 8 Mar. 2026
Others pushed the exotic limits further with Hindu/Asia or Babylonian/Mesopotamian themes.
—Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026
Research tells us that New Year’s resolutions, a popular noncontractual commitment, began over 3,000 years ago in Babylonian culture and shortly after in other cultures as a way, in general, to atone for questionable practices and/or debt.
—Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
In Babylonian and Assyrian artworks, too, feathers are often seen covering the bodies of deities or embellishing royal crowns.
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
But Nehemiah was ordered to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, which had been destroyed during the Babylonian conquest.
—John Fugelsang
september 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025
In fact, the Ancient Sumerians, and their Babylonian successors, mastered date-growing techniques that a modern orchardist would recognize.
—Jacob Jones, JSTOR Daily, 13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Babylonian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Babylonian. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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