In·do-Eu·ro·pe·an
ˌin-dō-ˌyu̇r-ə-ˈpē-ən 
: of, relating to, or constituting the Indo-European languages
1
a
: a member of the people speaking an unrecorded prehistoric language from which the Indo-European languages are descended
b
: this language
Examples of Indo-European in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Liberia has massive mineral reserves including iron ores deposits that are currently being operated inter-alia by the Indo-European conglomerate ArcelorMittal, with further investments from Turkish, Russian and Chinese interests as well.
—Saleem H. Ali, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
One group argues the script has links to Indo-European languages such as ancient Sanskrit, which spawned many languages now spoken across northern India.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN, 28 Feb. 2025
Origins of Indo-European Language: A new study claims to have identified the first speakers of the language, which gave rise to English, Sanskrit and hundreds of others.
—Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
There are over 400 variations of the Indo-European language which are spoken by over half of the world’s population.
—Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025
Another group moved south into Anatolia, likely bringing an early form of Indo-European with them.
—Ella Jeffries, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Feb. 2025
The Phrygians were an ancient Indo-European people who inhabited central Anatolia (in what is now modern-day Turkey) during the early first millennium B.C.
—Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024
These words might be connected to an earlier Indo-European root related to burning or heat, since brass is made by smelting copper and zinc, though this is not definitively established.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024
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.
Adjective
Most languages spoken in Europe are Indo-European, but many linguists believe that Basque predates those.
—Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Liberia has massive mineral reserves including iron ores deposits that are currently being operated inter-alia by the Indo-European conglomerate ArcelorMittal, with further investments from Turkish, Russian and Chinese interests as well.
—Saleem H. Ali, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
One group argues the script has links to Indo-European languages such as ancient Sanskrit, which spawned many languages now spoken across northern India.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN, 28 Feb. 2025
Origins of Indo-European Language: A new study claims to have identified the first speakers of the language, which gave rise to English, Sanskrit and hundreds of others.
—Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
There are over 400 variations of the Indo-European language which are spoken by over half of the world’s population.
—Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 5 Feb. 2025
Another group moved south into Anatolia, likely bringing an early form of Indo-European with them.
—Ella Jeffries, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Feb. 2025
The Phrygians were an ancient Indo-European people who inhabited central Anatolia (in what is now modern-day Turkey) during the early first millennium B.C.
—Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024
These words might be connected to an earlier Indo-European root related to burning or heat, since brass is made by smelting copper and zinc, though this is not definitively established.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Indo-European.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Indo-European. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share