barbarism
noun
bar·ba·rism
ˈbär-bə-ˌri-zəm 
1
a
: a barbarian or barbarous social or intellectual condition : backwardness
b
: the practice or display of barbarian acts, attitudes, or ideas
2
: an idea, act, or expression that in form or use offends against contemporary standards of good taste or acceptability
Examples of barbarism in a Sentence
The barbarism of his dictatorship cannot be ignored.
Such barbarisms cannot be tolerated.
Recent Examples on the Web
The horror and the barbarism here is hard to even comprehend.
—
Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
The standard choices presented to us—reason versus superstition, progress versus barbarism, past versus future, space versus Earth, growth versus stasis—were always chimeras.
—Paul Kingsnorth, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
For instance, his description of Sultan Allauddin Khilji’s brutality toward his enemies is devoid of accusations of barbarism or excessive hand-wringing.
—Radha Vatsal
june 20, Literary Hub, 20 June 2025
The White Guard hinges on the contrast between the cozy bourgeois home of the Turbin family, based on Bulgakov’s family home on Kyiv’s most picturesque street, and the barbarism unfolding outside.
—Uilleam Blacker, The Atlantic, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbarism
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.
Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
The standard choices presented to us—reason versus superstition, progress versus barbarism, past versus future, space versus Earth, growth versus stasis—were always chimeras.
—Paul Kingsnorth, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
For instance, his description of Sultan Allauddin Khilji’s brutality toward his enemies is devoid of accusations of barbarism or excessive hand-wringing.
—Radha Vatsal
june 20, Literary Hub, 20 June 2025
The White Guard hinges on the contrast between the cozy bourgeois home of the Turbin family, based on Bulgakov’s family home on Kyiv’s most picturesque street, and the barbarism unfolding outside.
—Uilleam Blacker, The Atlantic, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbarism
Cite this Entry
“Barbarism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barbarism. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
barbarism
noun
bar·ba·rism
ˈbär-bə-ˌriz-əm
: the state, ideas, or behavior of a barbarian
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share