barbarian

noun bar·bar·i·an \ bär-ˈber-ē-ən \

Definition of barbarian

plural barbarians

1 : a person from an alien land, culture, or group believed to be inferior, uncivilized, or violent —used chiefly in historical references

In the Roman Empire, cohorts…patrolled the provinces, repelling the barbarians and maintaining the emperor's sovereignty.
—Paul C. Schuytema

Much of Italy had slipped from the grasp of the Byzantines, victim to the vigorous Germanic barbarians…who had begun their migration southward from the forested fastnesses of eastern and central Europe.
—Stephen O'Shea

2 : a barbarous person : a rude, crude, uneducated, or uncivilized person

No, I'm not some sort of barbarian who would open a bottle of wine to enjoy some before offering it as a gift. That would be uncouth.
—Irv Erdos

See barbarian defined for English-language learners

See barbarian defined for kids

First Known Use of barbarian

14th century

barbarian Synonyms

Synonyms

heathen, savage;

Related Words

Neanderthal, primitive;

noble savage;

barbarian

adjective

Definition of barbarian

1 : of or relating to a land, culture, or people alien and usually believed to be inferior to another land, culture, or people

2 : lacking refinement, learning, or artistic or literary culture

—

barbarianism

play \bär-ˈber-ē-ə-ˌni-zəm\ noun

Examples of barbarian in a Sentence

people who were regarded as barbarian by the ancient Romans

Recent Examples of barbarian from the Web

The Amazigh are better known as Berbers, but that’s actually a pejorative name, derived from the word barbarian.

— terri colby, Philly.com, "Camels, casbahs and more make for a magical visit to Morocco," 20 Sep. 2017
But Charlie Gard shows that the barbarian no longer comes wielding a club and grunting in some undecipherable tongue.

— william mcgurn, WSJ, "For the Love of Charlie Gard," 17 July 2017
The barbarian stuck behind the glass now indeed had two separate brows, but they were arched far above its eyes as if sketched by a cartoon artist.

— iman hariri-kia, Teen Vogue, "What My Hairiness And Hair Removal Taught Me About American Beauty Standards," 2 Oct. 2017
Looking back eight centuries, Carleton traces an epic tale of war and redemption, of a Russia that finds itself constantly at risk of barbarian invasion and annihilation and yet manages, time and again, to save both itself and its neighbors.

— sophie pinkham, New Republic, "Understanding Russia’s War Stories," 26 Sep. 2017
Medea New adaptation of the classic Greek tragedy about the barbarian princess scorned by her husband, the hero Jason.

— matt cooper, latimes.com, "The week ahead in L.A. theater, Sept. 3-10: 'Once' at South Coast Rep and more," 3 Sep. 2017
There was a time when Jupiter was the king of the gods, and any man who doubted his puissance was ipso facto a barbarian and an ignoramus.

— john e. mcintyre, baltimoresun.com, "In a word: puissant," 29 Aug. 2017
Would Trump the barbarian have been elected president of the United States even 10 or 20 years ago?

— john kass, Twin Cities, "John Kass: Will flaying Trump bring us to normalcy?," 1 June 2017
Would Trump the barbarian have been elected president of the United States even 10 or 20 years ago?

— john kass, Twin Cities, "John Kass: Will flaying Trump bring us to normalcy?," 1 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'barbarian.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.