barbarian

[ bahr-bair-ee-uhn ]

noun

1. a person in a savage, primitive state; uncivilized person.
2. a person without culture, refinement, or education; philistine.
3. (loosely) a foreigner.
4. (in ancient and medieval periods)
   1. a non-Greek.
   2. a person living outside, especially north of, the Roman Empire.
   3. a person not living in a Christian country or within a Christian civilization.
5. (among Italians during the Renaissance) a person of non-Italian origin.

adjective

1. uncivilized; crude; savage.

   Synonyms: uncultivated, ignorant, coarse, barbaric, rough, wild, primitive, rude

   Antonyms: civilized, cultivated

2. foreign; alien.

barbarian

/ bɑːˈbɛərɪən /

noun

1. a member of a primitive or uncivilized people
2. a coarse, insensitive, or uncultured person
3. a vicious person

adjective

1. of an uncivilized culture
2. insensitive, uncultured, or brutal

Derived Forms

• barˈbarianism, noun

Other Words From

• bar·bari·an·ism noun
• half-bar·bari·an adjective
• nonbar·bari·an adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of barbarian¹

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin barbari(a) “barbarous country” ( barbarous, -ia ) + -an

Word History and Origins

Origin of barbarian¹

C16: see barbarous

Synonym Study

Barbarian, barbaric, barbarous pertain to uncivilized people. Barbarian is the general word for anything uncivilized: a barbarian tribe. Barbaric has both unfavorable and mildly favorable connotations, implying crudeness of taste or practice, or conveying an idea of rude magnificence and splendor: barbaric noise. Barbarous emphasizes the inhumanity and cruelty of barbarian life: barbarous customs.

Example Sentences

How could baseball’s greatest position player be benched by the National Baseball Hall of Fame guardians while this ethics barbarian walks through the gate?

From Los Angeles Times

In 2019, he sued his former business partner, Roy Lee — whose credits include such hits as “Barbarian,” “The Lego Movie” and “The Departed” — accusing Lee of fraud, breach of contract, unjust enrichment and unfair competition.

From Los Angeles Times

Jones was best known for giving Star Wars supervillain Darth Vader his distinctive deep voice, and also starred in dozens of other films including Field of Dreams, Coming To America, Conan the Barbarian and The Lion King.

From BBC

He later appeared in a wide variety of movies such as Conan the Barbarian, Coming to America, Field of Dreams, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger.

From BBC

How could a man who mastered the works of Anton Chekhov and August Wilson be content booming “Infidel defilers!” in “Conan the Barbarian”?

From Los Angeles Times