barbarian
barbarian Lexical Profile
barbarian Game Scores & Validity
• noun
In ancient and historical contexts, a member of a community or tribe not belonging to one of the great civilizations (Greek, Roman, Christian, or Chinese).
"The ancient Greeks originally used the term to describe any foreigner who did not speak the Greek language."
An uncultured, brutish, or crudely aggressive person.
"He behaved like a complete barbarian at the dinner table, ignoring every rule of polite etiquette."
• adjective
Uncivilized, primitive, or lacking cultural refinement; characteristic of people outside a major ancient civilization.
"Roman historians wrote extensively about the customs of the barbarian tribes living beyond the Rhine."
• Rhymes for barbarian
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French 'barbare' and Latin 'barbarus', from Ancient Greek 'barbaros' (foreign, non-Greek), an onomatopoeic word imitating the unintelligible 'bar-bar' sounds of foreign languages to Greek ears.