Babylonian

1 of 2

noun

Bab·​y·​lo·​nian ˌba-bə-ˈlō-nyən How to pronounce Babylonian (audio)
-nē-ən
1
: a native or inhabitant of ancient Babylonia or Babylon
2
: the form of the Akkadian language used in ancient Babylonia

Babylonian

2 of 2

adjective

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 halls of the big hotelG. K. Chesterton
the Babylonian delights of the city

Examples of Babylonian in a Sentence

Adjective the Babylonian glitter of the city's gold coast
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Astrology is based on the Babylonian belief that the movements of planets significantly affect human life and destiny. Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2023 As long ago as 1750 b.c., the Babylonian king Hammurabi put his code of laws on a pillar for all to see. Patrick A. McLaughlin, National Review, 12 July 2023 The story of the siege is supported by Babylonian scribes, who wrote what archaeologists call the Babylonian Chronicles on cuneiform tablets hardened in ovens, according to Laurie Pearce, a lecturer in Mideast studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Joel Shurkin, Discover Magazine, 23 Sep. 2019 Ironically, the Babylonian Talmud echoes this tradition, proudly claiming that Jesus was sentenced by a Jewish court for Jewish crimes and executed in a Jewish way, not a Roman one. Nathaniel Peters, National Review, 17 Feb. 2022 Agents showed the artifact to an expert, who said it had likely been used to teach children the alphabet during the Old Babylonian period. Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2022 As Michelle Starr reports for Science Alert, officials in the Old Babylonian period used the artifact, known as Si.427, to delineate land boundaries. Livia Gershon, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Aug. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Babylonian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1553, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Babylonian was in 1530

Dictionary Entries Near Babylonian

Cite this Entry

“Babylonian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Babylonian. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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