What does "arab" mean?
A Semitic person, whose forebears were from the Arabian Peninsula.
Arab
/ˈæɹ.əb/ adj, name, noun
adj, name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A Semitic person, whose forebears were from the Arabian Peninsula.
- Grammar: arab is listed as adj, name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: arabian, ancient arab, arab individual, arab person.
- Useful contrasts: non Arab, non-Arab.
- Usage evidence: Japan relies on Arab countries for oil.
How to use "arab"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "arab" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "arab" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "arab" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "arab" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "arab" is acting as adj, name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "arabian" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "arab", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A Semitic person, whose forebears were from the Arabian Peninsula.
- 2 billion (sense 1); 1,000,000,000; or with Indian digit grouping, 1,00,00,00,000. India, rare
- 3 a spirited graceful and intelligent riding horse native to Arabia wordnet
- 4 An inhabitant of Arabia or the Arab world.
"This backlash also fails to take into account that Israel, for all its faults, is a multicultural society where almost half of graduating doctors today are Arabs or Druze."
- 5 a member of a Semitic people originally from the Arabian peninsula and surrounding territories who speaks Arabic and who inhabits much of the Middle East and northern Africa wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A member of an Arabic-speaking community.
- 7 An Arabian horse.
"Having taken a very early breakfast, I mounted about eight o'clock my grey Arab, and without anything occurring worthy of note, killed the first three boars in the space of an hour, […]"
- 8 A street Arab. archaic
"a. 1892, Charles Spurgeon, a sermon You Christian people often see the little gutter children — the poor little arabs in the street — and you feel much pity for them, as well you may."
Adjective
- 1 Of or pertaining to Arabs and their nations. not-comparable
"The dispatches […] also exposed the blatant discrepancy between the west's professed values and actual foreign policies. Having lectured the Arab world about democracy for years, its collusion in suppressing freedom was undeniable as protesters were met by weaponry and tear gas made in the west, employed by a military trained by westerners."
Proper Noun
- 1 A city in Marshall County, Alabama, United States.
- 2 The Arabic language. dated, rare
"Tarzan, who, by this time, with the assistance of Abdul, had picked up quite a smattering of Arab, questioned one of the younger men who had accompanied the sheik while the latter paid his respects to Captain Gerard."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
non Arabnon-Arab
Example
"Japan relies on Arab countries for oil."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "arab"?
Common synonyms include: arabian, ancient arab, arab individual, arab person, arabians, arabs.
How do you use "arab" in a sentence?
Japan relies on Arab countries for oil.
How do you pronounce "arab"?
Pronounced /ˈæɹ.əb/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Arabic عَرَب (ʕarab, “Arabs”) or back-formation from Arabic.
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Hindi अरब (arab).