Bulgarian

American  

[buhl-gair-ee-uhn, bool-] / bʌlˈgɛər i ən, bʊl- /

noun

1. Also Bulgar a native or inhabitant of Bulgaria.

2. a Slavic language, the language of Bulgaria. Bulg., Bulg

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adjective

1. of or relating to Bulgaria, its people, or their language.

bulgarian British  

/ bʊl-, bʌlˈɡɛərɪən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Bulgaria, its people, or their language

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noun

1. the official language of Bulgaria, belonging to the S Slavonic branch of the Indo-European family

2. a native, inhabitant, or citizen of Bulgaria

Other Word Forms

• anti-Bulgarian adjective
• pro-Bulgarian adjective
• pseudo-Bulgarian adjective

Etymology

Origin of Bulgarian

First recorded in 1545–55; Bulgari(a) + -an

Example Sentences

A former Mig-29 fighter pilot and commander-in-chief of the Bulgarian Air Force, his victory is impressive by Bulgarian standards, but does not give Progressive Bulgaria a strong enough mandate to govern alone.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

“The playing conditions here are terrible,” the Bulgarian said in his postmatch on-court comments after notching a win.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2026

Gagosian had selected early works by Bulgarian artist Christo to feature at Art Basel Qatar.

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

Shortly after taking bronze in the parallel giant slalom Sunday, Bulgarian snowboarder Tervel Zamfirov was running when the medal detached from the lanyard.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

People are paying 14.00 guilders an ounce for Bulgarian tobacco!

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank