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# barbarian

noun (a barbarian, barbarians); adjective (barbarian)

«barbarian» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (history) A name the ancient Greeks and Romans gave to people from outside their world, whom they saw as wild and uncivilised. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/barbarian/#m1)
2. A person who behaves in a very cruel, violent or rough way. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/barbarian/#m2)
3. (informal, jokey) A person with bad manners or no taste: "You put ketchup on that? You barbarian!" [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/barbarian/#m3)

### In the lessons

In history lessons the "barbarians", such as Goths, Vandals and Huns, attacked the Roman Empire; pupils learn that the Romans used the word in a biased way about people with their own cultures. In stories barbarians are fierce warriors. In everyday talk the word is often a joke about bad manners. Phrases: barbarian tribes, at the gates (enemies close by).

### Examples

- The Romans built walls to keep out the barbarians. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/barbarian/#x1)
- The Greeks called foreigners barbarians because their speech sounded like "bar-bar". [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/barbarian/#x2)
- Barbarian tribes attacked Rome. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/barbarian/#x3)
- "Who eats pizza with pineapple? Barbarians!" joked my uncle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/barbarian/#x4)
- Only a barbarian would hurt an animal for fun. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/barbarian/#x5)
- The Vikings were seen as barbarians by the monks they raided. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/barbarian/#x6)
- Had his thoughts ventured to fly with the ships of the barbarians, to their homes in far distant England? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/barbarian/#x7)

### Note

Countable: a barbarian, barbarians. Related: barbaric (very cruel), barbarous, barbarism. Fairness note: the word was used by one side to look down on others; the so-called barbarians had their own laws, art and skills.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «barbarian» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/barbarian/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«barbarian» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/barbarian.html) on Mova free.