barbarian

1 of 2

noun

bar·​bar·​i·​an bär-ˈber-ē-ən How to pronounce barbarian (audio)
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used chiefly in historical references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 noun

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
Later in the year, the celebration continued with the release of 12 D&D Minifigures, including an elf bard, a dwarf barbarian and a witch queen. Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2024 Most people refer to him as a barbarian, so Fuji certainly has her prejudices at the beginning. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Yet the real struggle between red and blue bears little resemblance to the flamboyant melodrama narrated by partisans, in which each side fights to defend humanity against a barbarian horde. Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 19 Aug. 2024 Column of Marcus Aurelius was erected in AD 180 to commemorate his victories over the barbarian tribes of the Danube. Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 20 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for barbarian 

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

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin barbarus — more at barbarous

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of barbarian was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near barbarian

Cite this Entry

“Barbarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barbarian. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

barbarian

noun
bar·​bar·​i·​an bär-ˈber-ē-ən How to pronounce barbarian (audio)
bär-ˈbar-
: an uncivilized person

More from Merriam-Webster on barbarian

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