Barbarian Definition
bär-bârē-ən
barbarians
noun
barbarians
A member of one of the non-Greek peoples in the ancient world, regarded by the ancient Greeks as culturally inferior.
American Heritage
An alien or foreigner.
Webster's New World
A member of any of various peoples living outside the Roman Empire or not fully integrated into Greco-Roman civilization.
American Heritage
A member of a people or group with a civilization regarded as primitive, savage, etc.
Webster's New World
A member of a people considered uncivilized or culturally inferior by members of another people.
American Heritage
Antonyms:
adjective
Of or like a barbarian.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
Other Word Forms of Barbarian
Noun
Singular:
barbarian
Plural:
barbariansOrigin of Barbarian
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From Middle English, from Medieval Latin barbarinus (“Berber, pagan, Saracen, barbarian”), from Latin barbaria (“foreign country”), from barbarus (“foreigner, savage”), from Ancient Greek βάρβαρος (barbaros, “foreign, non-Greek, strange”), onomatopoeic (mimicking foreign languages, akin to 'blah blah'), cognate to Sanskrit बर्बर (barbara, “barbarian, non-Aryan, stammering, blockhead”).
From Wiktionary
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French barbarien from barbare barbarous from Latin barbarus barbarous
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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