barbarian: Meaning and Definition of

bar•bar•i•an

Pronunciation: (bär-bâr'ē-un), [key]
— n.
  1. a person in a savage, primitive state; uncivilized person.
  2. a person without culture, refinement, or education; philistine.
  3. (loosely) a foreigner.
  4. (in ancient and medieval periods)
    1. a non-Greek.
    2. a person living outside, esp. north of, the Roman Empire.
    3. a person not living in a Christian country or within a Christian civilization.
  5. (among Italians during the Renaissance) a person of non-Italian origin.
—adj.
  1. uncivilized; crude; savage.
  2. foreign; alien.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also: