barbaric

[ bahr-bar-ik ]

adjective

1. without civilizing influences; uncivilized; primitive:

   barbaric invaders.

2. of, like, or befitting barbarians:

   a barbaric empire; barbaric practices.

3. crudely rich or splendid:

   barbaric decorations.

barbaric

/ bɑːˈbærɪk /

adjective

1. of or characteristic of barbarians
2. primitive or unsophisticated; unrestrained
3. brutal

Derived Forms

• barˈbarically, adverb

Other Words From

• bar·bari·cal·ly adverb
• nonbar·baric adjective
• prebar·baric adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of barbaric¹

1480–90; < Latin barbaricus < Greek barbarikós. See barbarous, -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of barbaric¹

C15: from Latin barbaricus foreign, outlandish; see barbarous

Synonym Study

See barbarian.

Example Sentences

The Israeli military has not commented on the attack, which was described by the Lebanese health ministry as “barbaric”.

From BBC

Rachel Reeves, now chancellor, also condemned the policy as "barbaric".

From BBC

It is not just that the practice is barbaric.

From Los Angeles Times

Metson murdered Holly in an act that police have described as "barbaric" - stabbing her multiple times before he dismembered her body into more than 200 pieces and disposed of them in the River Witham.

From BBC

But McAvoy makes clear this "simplistic, selfish, fundamental approach to life" is, to him, ultimately "unrealistic... and barbaric".

From BBC

Related Words

• barbarous
• brutal
• cruel
• inhuman
• uncivilized

About This Word

What does barbaric mean?

Barbaric means crude, uncivilized, or primitive. It’s often used to describe things that are cruel or brutal in a way that’s considered entirely uncivilized.

Barbaric is also used to describe things that involve people considered barbarians—people who are extremely crude and uncivilized.

The term barbarian was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans to refer to any foreigner. In ancient and medieval times, it was variously used to refer to non-Greeks, non-Romans, and non-Christians. The term eventually became associated with a stereotypical image of barbarians as primitive and brutish.

Like the word savage, the word barbarian can be very offensive due to its use to dehumanize the people that it’s applied to, especially in a way that calls attention to their otherness or the supposed primitiveness of their culture or customs. Barbaric can also imply these same things, especially when it’s applied to the practices of a culture other than one’s own.

The related word barbarous also means uncivilized, crude, or cruel.

Example: We need to put an end to this barbaric violence.

Where does barbaric come from?

The first records of the word barbaric come from the 1480s. It derives from the Latin barbaricus, meaning “foreign,” and ultimately comes from the Greek bárbaros, meaning “non-Greek,” or, more generally, “foreign.”

The Greek bárbaros is related to the Sanskrit barbara, which means “stammering” and was also used to refer to non-Aryans. The ultimate basis of these terms is thought to be an imitation of someone speaking a language that is completely incomprehensible, as if they were just saying the word bar over and over. This origin is indicative of how offensive the words barbarian and barbaric can be when used in certain ways. Portraying an unfamiliar language as primitive gibberish simply because it’s unfamiliar is offensive in much the same way that calling a person barbaric can be when it’s meant to dehumanize them due to their differences.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to barbaric?

• barbarically (adverb)

What are some synonyms for barbaric?

• crude
• uncivilized
• cruel
• barbarous

What are some words that share a root or word element with barbaric? 

• barbarian
• barbarism
• barbarity
• barbarize

What are some words that often get used in discussing barbaric?

• practice
• behavior
• violence
• attack

How is barbaric used in real life?

Barbaric is always used negatively. It can be offensive when used to dehumanize a group and imply that their culture is primitive.

In her time, Ida. B. Wells Wells (1862-1931) was the most famous Black woman in America. In the 1890s, her work exposing the barbaric practice of lynching gained national renown. https://t.co/oTNUr6EMIt
VIA @womenshistory #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/nqTIrjzOfF

— marinparks (@marinparks) February 12, 2021

Only a barbaric system would allow millions of people to lose their health insurance during a deadly pandemic.

We need Medicare For All.

— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) February 14, 2021

Thread on the Lincoln quote I wrote about earlier. McIntosh's murder was utterly barbaric. He was burned alive. According to one account, when one of his killers said he was dead, McIntosh suddenly yelled from the flames, begging someone to shoot him. https://t.co/63cGCphUeI

— Brian Lyman (@lyman_brian) August 27, 2020