What does "arian" mean?
A supporter of the Cyrenaic monk Arius and his faction in the 4th-century Church.
Arian
/ˈɛəɹi.ən/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A supporter of the Cyrenaic monk Arius and his faction in the 4th-century Church.
- Grammar: arian is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: apocryphal, erroneous, fallacious, heretic.
- Useful contrasts: nicene.
- Usage evidence: The Arians celebrated the virtue of their pious confessor; the Catholics ambitiously claimed his alliance; and the Pagans, who might be susceptible of shame or remorse, were deterred from the repetition of such unavailing cruelty.
How to use "arian"
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Meaning check
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Source and review context
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Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "arian" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 A supporter of the Cyrenaic monk Arius and his faction in the 4th-century Church. historical
"The Arians celebrated the virtue of their pious confessor; the Catholics ambitiously claimed his alliance; and the Pagans, who might be susceptible of shame or remorse, were deterred from the repetition of such unavailing cruelty."
- 2 Synonym of Aries, a person born under the influence of Aries.
- 3 Alternative spelling of Aryan. alt-of, alternative
- 4 A believer of Arianism, particularly (historical) the official Arian churches lasting to the 7th century.
- 5 Synonym of unitarian, any Christian who denies the Trinity. derogatory, usually
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Synonym of heretic, any Christian differing from any of the beliefs of the speaker. dated, derogatory
Adjective
- 1 Of or pertaining to Arius or Arianism. not-comparable
"The highways of the East were crowded with Homoousian, and Arian, and Semi-Arian, and Eunomian bishops, who struggled to outstrip each other in the holy race: […]."
- 2 Of or related to Aries, its nature, and its influence.
"The Arian nature is to create the idea..."
- 3 Of or related to Aria, the region around Herat in Afghanistan, particularly in the context of its ancient history. historical, not-comparable
Antonyms
Example
"The Arians celebrated the virtue of their pious confessor; the Catholics ambitiously claimed his alliance; and the Pagans, who might be susceptible of shame or remorse, were deterred from the repetition of such unavailing cruelty."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "arian"?
Common synonyms include: apocryphal, erroneous, fallacious, heretic, heretical, heterodox.
How do you use "arian" in a sentence?
The Arians celebrated the virtue of their pious confessor; the Catholics ambitiously claimed his alliance; and the Pagans, who might be susceptible of shame or remorse, were deterred from the repetition of such unavailing cruelty.
How do you pronounce "arian"?
Pronounced /ˈɛəɹi.ən/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Late Latin Arianus, from Arius + -ānus (“-an: forming adjectives”), from Ancient Greek Ἄρειος (Áreios), from ἄρειος (áreios, “Arean, warlike”), from Ἄρης (Árēs, “Ares”) + -ιος (-ios, “-y: forming adjectives”). Cf. Arean.
Etymology 2
From Aries + -ian, from Latin aries (“ram”).
Etymology 3
From Latin Arianus, from Aria + -anus (“-an”). Equivalent to Aria + -an.