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—used chiefly in historical references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
Synonyms
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 WebNeal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 26 June 2024
The Romans described them as wild, headless barbarians, with faces on their chests.
—Jo Marchant, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2024
Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 20 June 2024
The Amazigh, or Berber people—the term used by foreigners, comes from the same Latin root as barbarian—are the Indigenous people of North Africa.
—Saki Knafo, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Jan. 2023
See all Example Sentences for barbarian 
Noun
Alaskans are Alaskans, New Yorkers are New Yorkers and Ohioans are barbarians.
—Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 26 June 2024
The Romans described them as wild, headless barbarians, with faces on their chests.
—Jo Marchant, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2024
Adjective
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
The Amazigh, or Berber people—the term used by foreigners, comes from the same Latin root as barbarian—are the Indigenous people of North Africa.
—Saki Knafo, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Jan. 2023
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.
Dictionary Entries Near barbarian
Cite this Entry
“Barbarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barbarian. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
barbarian
noun
bar·bar·i·an
bär-ˈber-ē-ən
bär-ˈbar-
: an uncivilized person
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