as in savage
not civilized
people who were regarded as barbarian by the ancient Romans
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in primitive
an uncivilized person
the invading Germanic tribes were viewed as barbarians by the citizens of ancient Rome
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barbarian
Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 20 June 2024
The Amazigh, or Berber people—the term used by foreigners, comes from the same Latin root as barbarian—are the Indigenous people of North Africa.
—Saki Knafo, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Jan. 2023
Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2025
Lucius comes into his uneasy heritage after defeat in the erroneous homeland where he is considered a barbarian.
—Armond White, National Review, 6 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for barbarian
Adjective
Column of Marcus Aurelius was erected in AD 180 to commemorate his victories over the barbarian tribes of the Danube.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 20 June 2024
The Amazigh, or Berber people—the term used by foreigners, comes from the same Latin root as barbarian—are the Indigenous people of North Africa.
—Saki Knafo, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Jan. 2023
Noun
By this time, Rome survived numerous attacks from pagan European tribes and the Asian Huns before finally succumbing to Germanic barbarians in 476 C.E..
—Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2025
Lucius comes into his uneasy heritage after defeat in the erroneous homeland where he is considered a barbarian.
—Armond White, National Review, 6 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for barbarian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbarian
Adjective
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
Noun
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Burlington Antique Show Browse more than 200 dealers of antiques, vintage jewelry, primitives, garden and architectural elements, mid-century collectibles, memorabilia, Americana and retro/vintage furniture at this monthly outdoor antique market.—
Luann Gibbs,
The Enquirer,
14 Aug. 2024
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It can be used to achieve a lot of other cryptographic primitives.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
1 Aug. 2024
Adjective
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The incident sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some criticizing Wallen’s actions on the show as rude.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
30 Mar. 2025
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This, experts say, is a punctuation choice that can make messages appear uncertain or vague, which confuses recipients and sometimes comes off as passive aggressive and rude.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Wildlife officials later identified the animal as a marbled cat, a mysterious wild cat rarely seen on trail cameras or in-person.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2025
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Starliner’s flight to the space station was far wilder than most of us thought 2.—
Kevin Purdy,
ArsTechnica,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Beyond Joel and Abby, questions of justice and vengeance emerge around a conflict between two militant groups (one led by Jeffrey Wright’s enigmatic Isaac Dixon) who do barbaric things to one another, though the aims of each side and the origins of their war remain murky.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
7 Apr. 2025
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Criminality is high, and barbaric forms of homicide can only be explained by a certain moral insensibility.—
Wade Davis,
Rolling Stone,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Any slip-up or act of insubordination, no matter how small, results in immediate death from the barbarous SS members running the camp.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
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Experts told PolitiFact such narratives painting Haiti as a barbarous country are not new and are racist attempts to dehumanize Haitians.—
Jeff Cercone,
Austin American-Statesman,
14 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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Under the Omanis, Zanzibar grew rich selling spices, ivory, and slaves, mostly non-Muslims from the interior, whom the island’s élites derided as washenzi, or uncivilized.—
Julian Lucas,
The New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2022
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Forcing a woman to choose between jail and carrying her rapist's baby is uncivilized and medieval.—
CNN,
CNN,
27 June 2022
Cite this Entry
“Barbarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbarian. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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