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—used chiefly in historical references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
Paul C. SchuytemaMuch 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
Stephen O'Shea2
: 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
Irv Erdos1
: 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
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
David A. Bell, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
Yet the fact that Native Americans were not Christians but instead animists meant that Europeans viewed them as heathens, pagans, and barbarians, with few claims to the dignity to which Christians were entitled.
—Literary Hub, 25 Feb. 2026
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
Bailey plays half-elf ranger Vex, O’Brien is her twin brother Vax, Willingham is the lovable barbarian Grog, Johnson is the holy gnome cleric Pike, Jaffe is the royal gunslinger Percy, Ray is magical half-elf druid Keyleth and Riegel is the raunchy gnome bard Scanlan.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 24 July 2025
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Noun
In most academic histories of European imperialism written in this century, the Europeans are the barbarians, killing and raping and looting on an unprecedented scale.
—David A. Bell, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
Yet the fact that Native Americans were not Christians but instead animists meant that Europeans viewed them as heathens, pagans, and barbarians, with few claims to the dignity to which Christians were entitled.
—Literary Hub, 25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Ashley Johnson and star/executive producer Travis Willingham tee up what's coming for their soft barbarian lady.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
Bailey plays half-elf ranger Vex, O’Brien is her twin brother Vax, Willingham is the lovable barbarian Grog, Johnson is the holy gnome cleric Pike, Jaffe is the royal gunslinger Percy, Ray is magical half-elf druid Keyleth and Riegel is the raunchy gnome bard Scanlan.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbarian
Cite this Entry
“Barbarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barbarian. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
barbarian
noun
bar·bar·i·an
bär-ˈber-ē-ən
bär-ˈbar-
: an uncivilized person
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