Arabic

[ ar-uh-bik ]

adjective

1. of, belonging to, or derived from the language or literature of the Arabs.
2. noting, pertaining to, or derived from an alphabetic script in which etymologically short vowels are not normally represented, used for the writing of Arabic probably since about the fourth century a.d., and adopted with modifications by Persian, Urdu, and many other languages.
3. of or relating to Arabs.
4. of or relating to Arabia or its inhabitants; Arabian.

noun

1. a Semitic language that developed out of the language of the Arabians of the time of Muhammad, now spoken in countries of the Middle East and North Africa. : Ar, Ar.
2. the standard literary and classical language as established by the Quran.

Arabic

/ ˈærəbɪk /

noun

1. the language of the Arabs, spoken in a variety of dialects; the official language of Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, the Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen. It is estimated to be the native language of some 75 million people throughout the world. It belongs to the Semitic subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic family of languages and has its own alphabet, which has been borrowed by certain other languages such as Urdu

adjective

1. denoting or relating to this language, any of the peoples that speak it, or the countries in which it is spoken

Other Word Forms

• an·ti-Ar·a·bic adjective
• non-Ar·a·bic adjective
• pro-Ar·a·bic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Arabic¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English arabik, from Latin Arabicus “Arabian,” equivalent to Arab(ia) + -icus adjective suffix; -ic

Example Sentences

Footage showed some being returned in sweatshirts with the Star of David on them and the words: "We do not forget and we do not forgive" written in Arabic.

From BBC

Then, in Arabic, he told me: "Because we believe that the wounds are a kind of medal from God. Honouring what we go through fighting a righteous cause."

From BBC

They focus on religious education, which includes Quranic, Hadith, Sharia law, and Arabic language studies.

From BBC

The video is accompanied by voices, speaking in Arabic, describing the attack on the RSF convoy vehicles containing weaponry.

From BBC

“It all came together with this Shakira-esque Arabic scale. The drama was there, cinematic element was there, which is what I love.”

From Los Angeles Times