Arab
noun
a member of a Semitic people inhabiting Arabia and other countries of the Middle East.
Arab
1 American
[ar-uhb]
/ ˈær əb /
noun
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Arabs
plural
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a member of a Semitic people inhabiting Arabia and other countries of the Middle East.
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a member of any Arabic-speaking people.
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Also called Arabber. Sometimes Offensive. a street peddler.
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Archaic: Sometimes Offensive. street arab.
Arab.
2
American
abbreviation
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Arabia.
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Arabian.
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Arabic.
Arab
British
noun
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a member of a Semitic people originally inhabiting Arabia, who spread throughout the Middle East, N Africa, and Spain during the seventh and eighth centuries ad
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a lively intelligent breed of horse, mainly used for riding
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(modifier) of or relating to the Arabs
the Arab nations
Sensitive Note
The meanings “street peddler” and “vagabond” (in this second sense, also called a street arab ) are sometimes perceived as insulting because of their reference to the historically nomadic peoples of Arabia. The meaning “vagabond” has fallen into disuse. However, street vendors in Baltimore, Maryland, are called Arabs; in fact, it is a self-referential term—that is, one used by the vendors themselves.
Pronunciation
The pronunciation of Arab as , with an initial sound and secondary stress on the second syllable, is sometimes used facetiously or disparagingly. It is especially common in the street-peddler and street-arab senses and is usually considered offensive in any sense.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of Arab
First recorded in 1350–1400; from Latin Arab-, stem of Arabs, from Greek Árab-, stem of Áraps “Arabian, an Arabian, Arab,” from Arabic ʿArab, a self-designation
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A flight headed to Israel from the United Arab Emirates was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a steep dive and injuries to both pilots.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
Her appointment makes her only the second woman to lead a government in the Arab world, after Tunisia's Najla Bouden.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
It will now also be available in Japan and the United Arab Emirates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Saleh was interviewed in January, when Bab el-Mandeb was thrust into the power struggle between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the friendly-but-occasionally-fractious backers of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
They also announced that the Arab armies had begun their threatened invasion.
From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok
“Today I feel Arab. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel disabled. Today I feel a migrant worker.”
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 19, 2022
“Today I feel Qatari. I feel Arab. I feel African. I feel gay. I feel disabled. I feel a migrant worker.”
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 19, 2022
“All of our river water got destroyed. Go to Shatt al Arab. There's no fish there.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2018
They see me and think, ‘You’re tan. You’re Jewish. You’re Greek. You’re Arab. You’re a mad scientist . . .’ In the beginning I played a cab driver but I never played a terrorist.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2017
Arab., “bought of N. Nassif, 21 May, 1869.”
From A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament, Vol. II. by Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener
The SDF amassed around 100,000 fighters at its peak, both Kurds and Arabs, and controlled swathes of Syria's oil-rich north and northeast.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
As the conflict unfolded, Gulf Arabs were surprised when Iran attacked them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
The Gulf Arabs are dismayed by what has happened.
From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026
Iran’s population is diverse; an estimated two-thirds of Iranians are Persian, while minorities include Kurds, Baloch, Arabs and Azeris.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026
Charlie and I made hats and long, flowing gowns, trying to imitate the Arabs, but I expect we looked more like little girls wearing their mothers’ party gowns than like Arabs.
From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
