barbarian
noun · adjective
Simple meaning
An uncivilized or uncultured person, originally compared to the hellenistic Greco-Roman civilisation.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
bahrbehreeuhnSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
bɑɹˈbɛɹiən
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
An uncivilized or uncultured person, originally compared to the hellenistic Greco-Roman civilisation; usually associated with senseless violence and self-harm or other such shows of brute force and lack of mental faculty.
A brutish warrior depicted in sword and sorcery and other fantasy works; typically clad in primitive furs or leather and usually favoring physical strength over intelligence while often possessing a bellicose temperament and disdain for laws.
adjective
Relating to people, countries, or customs perceived as uncivilized or inferior.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced
- Frequency
- Uncommon
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.