barbarian

1 of 2

noun

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—used chiefly in historical references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

Much 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

2

: 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

barbarian

2 of 2

adjective

1

: 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

barbarianism

bär-ˈber-ē-ə-ˌni-zəm 

noun

Synonyms

Noun

• heathen
• savage

Adjective

• barbaric
• barbarous
• heathen
• heathenish
• natural
• Neanderthal
• Neandertal
• rude
• savage
• uncivil
• uncivilized
• uncultivated
• wild

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 Web

Noun

It was called the Save Women’s Sports Act, conjuring an image of barbarians at the gate. —Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025

By this time, Rome survived numerous attacks from pagan European tribes and the Asian Huns before finally succumbing to Germanic barbarians in 476 C.E.. —Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2025

Adjective

Based on the best-selling comic book series, the fantasy follows barbarian huntress Red Sonja, who must unite a group of unlikely warriors to face off against the evil tyrant Emperor Draygan and his deadly bride, Dark Annisia. —Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2025

So, some earlier, some later, but right around the time that the Greeks were talking about these people and excited about their barbarian lifestyle, archaeologists were finding the graves of these people. —Foreign Affairs, 5 June 2015

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin barbarus — more at barbarous

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

barbarian

noun

bar·​bar·​i·​an bär-ˈber-ē-ən 

bär-ˈbar-

: an uncivilized person