Aryan

1 of 2

adjective

Ary·​an ˈa-rē-ən How to pronounce Aryan (audio)
ˈer-ē-;
ˈär-yən How to pronounce Aryan (audio)
1
2
a
: of or relating to a hypothetical ethnic type illustrated by or descended from early speakers of Indo-European languages
b
: nordic
c
used in Nazism to designate a supposed master race of non-Jewish Caucasians usually having Nordic features
3
: of or relating to Indo-Iranian or its speakers

Aryan

2 of 2

noun

1
2
a
: nordic
b

Examples of Aryan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
His sons Aryan and AbRam will voice Simba and young Mufasa respectively. Sara Merican, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2024 Adolf Hitler had agreed to host the Games after Joseph Goebbels, his propaganda minister, convinced him that the spectacle would be an opportunity to demonstrate the superiority of the Aryan race. Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Aug. 2024 Luz, a street captain for the Aryan Warriors, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his conviction on felony racketeering and forgery charges, according to the Department of Corrections. Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2024 Despite attempts among athletes and Jewish and African American organizations to boycott the Games, Hitler’s regime further used the Olympics to promote his destructive vision of Aryan racial superiority and physical prowess. Debbie Sharnak & Yannick Kluch / Made By History, TIME, 30 July 2024 Berlin was a major propaganda success for Hitler, although his efforts to advertise the supremacy of the Aryan race were undermined by the African-American sprinter Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals. The Week Uk, theweek, 21 July 2024 Germany would be the most successful country at the Games, but America’s Jesse Owens’s four gold medals helped dispel the Nazis’ false claims of a superior Aryan race. Jack Birle, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 July 2024 Her name and characterization (violence, really into social media, complimenting Homelander for Aryan features) couldn’t have been more obvious. Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 25 June 2024 The Past Nazis created an anti-Semitic Bible and Aryan Jesus A Nazi institute produced a Bible without the Old Testament that portrayed Jesus as an Aryan hero fighting Jewish people. Big Think, 24 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Sanskrit ārya noble, belonging to an ancient people of northern India speaking an Indo-European dialect

First Known Use

Adjective

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Aryan was in 1839

Dictionary Entries Near Aryan

Cite this Entry

“Aryan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Aryan. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

Aryan

noun
Ary·​an
ˈar-ē-ən,
ˈer-,
ˈär-yən
1
2
: a member of the subgroup of Indo-European speakers ancestral to speakers of Indo-Aryan and Iranian languages
Aryan adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on Aryan

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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