barbarian

1 of 2

noun

bar·​bar·​i·​an bär-ˈber-ē-ən 

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—used chiefly in historical references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

barbarian

2 of 2

adjective

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

bär-ˈber-ē-ə-ˌni-zəm 

noun

Synonyms of barbarian

Noun

• primitive
• savage

Adjective

• savage
• rude
• wild
• primitive
• barbaric
• barbarous
• uncivilized

Examples of barbarian in a Sentence

Noun

the invading Germanic tribes were viewed as barbarians by the citizens of ancient Rome

Adjective

people who were regarded as barbarian by the ancient Romans

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In the series adaptation, from creator, executive producer and co-showrunner Turner (Up In The Air, X-Men First Class), a ruthless and crass barbarian is cursed to only use his violence for good, which sends him, his talking axe and a young witch on a road of self discovery, redemption and revenge. —Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 13 May 2026

Created by Mike Moreci and Nathan Gooden and edited by Adrian Wassel, Barbaric centers on a ruthless and crass barbarian who is cursed to only use his violence for good, which sends him, his talking axe and a young witch, on a road of self-discovery, redemption and revenge. —Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026

Adjective

For the design of the barbarian figure, Sweet reached out to Mark Taylor, an artist and designer at Mattel. —Sanat Pai Raikarall, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 May 2026

When the Western Roman Empire fell in the fifth century C.E., Europe was plunged into chaos as barbarian Germanic forces advanced south—or so the story goes. —Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 29 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin barbarus — more at barbarous

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for barbarian

• arion
• carrion
• clarion
• hereon
• marian
• parian
• agrarian
• aquarian
• bavarian
• bulgarian
• cimmerian
• hungarian

Kids Definition

barbarian

noun

bar·​bar·​i·​an bär-ˈber-ē-ən 

bär-ˈbar-

: an uncivilized person