Meaning of Barbarian | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A non-Greek or a non-Roman citizen.
   historical
2. 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.
3. A person destitute of culture; a Philistine.
   derogatory
4. Someone from a developing country or backward culture.
   derogatory
5. 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.
6. A cruel, savage, inhumane, brutal, violently aggressive person, particularly one who is unintelligent or dim-witted; one without pity or empathy.
   derogatory
7. A foreigner, especially with barbaric qualities as in the above definitions.
   derogatory

Equivalents

Examples

“Shall a noble writer, and an inspired noble writer, be called a solecist, and barbarian, for giving a new turn to a word so agreeable to the analogy and genius of the Greek tongue?”

“Thou fell barbarian.”

CEFR level