What does "barbarian" mean?
A non-Greek or a non-Roman citizen.
Barbarian
/bɑɹˈbɛəɹ.i.ən/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A non-Greek or a non-Roman citizen.
- Grammar: barbarian is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: foreigner, savage, aboriginal, alien.
- Useful contrasts: ancient hellene, classical roman, more roman.
- Usage evidence: There is in all barbarian communities a profound sense of the disparity between man's and woman's work.
How to use "barbarian"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "barbarian" 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 "barbarian" 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 "barbarian" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "barbarian" 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 "barbarian" is acting as adj, 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 "foreigner" 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 "barbarian", 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 non-Greek or a non-Roman citizen. historical
- 2 a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement wordnet
- 3 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.
- 4 a member of an uncivilized people wordnet
- 5 A person destitute of culture; a Philistine. derogatory
"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?"
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 Someone from a developing country or backward culture. derogatory
- 7 A brutish warrior depicted in sword and sorcery and other fantasy works; typically clad in primitive furs or leather and usually favoring physical strength over intelligence while often possessing a bellicose temperament and disdain for laws.
- 8 A cruel, savage, inhumane, brutal, violently aggressive person, particularly one who is unintelligent or dim-witted; one without pity or empathy. derogatory
"Thou fell barbarian."
- 9 A foreigner, especially with barbaric qualities as in the above definitions. derogatory
Adjective
- 1 Relating to people, countries, or customs perceived as uncivilized or inferior. not-comparable
Adjective
- 1 without civilizing influences wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"There is in all barbarian communities a profound sense of the disparity between man's and woman's work."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "barbarian"?
Common synonyms include: foreigner, savage, aboriginal, alien, animal, anthropophagite.
How do you use "barbarian" in a sentence?
There is in all barbarian communities a profound sense of the disparity between man's and woman's work.
How do you pronounce "barbarian"?
Pronounced /bɑɹˈbɛəɹ.i.ən/.
Etymology
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”).