barbarian

CEFRC1

/bɑː(ɹ)ˈbɛə.ɹi.ən/

noun · adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A person seen as uncivilized or lacking culture.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A non-Greek or a non-Roman citizen.

Examples

  • The barbarian is, first and foremost, the man who believes in barbarianism.

  • My level 9 barbarian has died.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
1
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. An uncivilized or uncultured person, originally compared to the hellenistic Greco-Roman civilisation; usually associated with senseless violence and self-harm or other such shows of brute force and lack of mental faculty.

  2. A person destitute of culture; a Philistine.

adjective

Extra meaning

  1. Relating to people, countries, or customs perceived as uncivilized or inferior.

More examples

In context

  • Shall a noble writer, and an inspired noble writer, be called a solecist, and barbarian, for giving a new turn to a word so agreeable to the analogy and genius of the Greek tongue?

  • Thou fell barbarian.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The ancient blank tribes invaded the Roman Empire from the north.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English barbarian, borrowed from Medieval Latin barbarinus (“Berber, pagan, foreigner”), from Latin barbaria (“foreign country”), from barbarus (“foreigner, savage”), from Ancient Greek βάρβαρος (bárbaros, “foreign, non-Greek, strange”), possibly onomatopoeic (mimicking foreign languages, akin to English blah blah). Cognate to Sanskrit बर्बर (barbara, “barbarian, non-Aryan, stammering, blockhead”).