Berber

noun

Ber·​ber ˈbər-bər How to pronounce Berber (audio)
1
: a member of any of various peoples living in northern Africa west of Tripoli
2
a
: a branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family comprising languages spoken by various peoples of northern Africa and the Sahara (such as the Tuaregs and the Kabyles)
b
: any one of the Berber languages

Examples of Berber in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Although perhaps not as crazy as their Berber grandmother, who puts both his addiction and the virus down to the Red Wind, a kind of demonic possession. Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 19 May 2025 Here, travelers can experience local culture by savoring authentic Amazigh (Berber) cuisine, sipping tea in family-run shops, and dipping into one of the numerous local hammams. Carlotta Dotto, CNN Money, 8 May 2025 The Berber Lodge is an enchanting set of low-lying adobe buildings, laid out with the confidence of a man who knows when enough is enough. David Coggins, airmail.news, 22 Feb. 2025 Some have focused their anger on the community after some of the hooligans who attacked Israelis could be heard in videos of the attacks speaking Moroccan Arabic and Berber languages native to Morocco. Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 18 Nov. 2024 Admire the shops laden with antique teapots, Berber jewels, and various colorful ceramics. Elle Benson Easton, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2024 The day wraps with visits to the Yves Saint Laurent Museum and the Berber Museum. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 11 July 2024 Morocco Morocco now honors Berber New Year with an official holiday. Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2023 Spain’s colonial Army was reduced to chasing Berber guerrillas around Morocco. Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

ultimately from Arabic barbar

First Known Use

1732, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Berber was in 1732

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Berber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Berber. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

Berber

noun
Ber·​ber ˈbər-bər How to pronounce Berber (audio)
1
: a member of a people of northwestern Africa
2
: any of a group of languages spoken in northwestern Africa

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