barbarians

Noun

barbarian (plural barbarians)

1. (historical) A non-Greek or a non-Roman citizen.
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. (derogatory) A person destitute of culture; a Philistine.
   • 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?1725, Anthony Blackwall, The Sacred Classics Defended And Illustrated
4. (derogatory) Someone from a developing country or backward culture.
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. (derogatory) A cruel, savage, inhumane, brutal, violently aggressive person, particularly one who is unintelligent or dim-witted; one without pity or empathy.
   • Thou fell barbarian.1712, Ambrose Philips, The Distrest Mother

See all 8 meanings of barbarian