barbaric

American  

[bahr-bar-ik] / bɑrˈbær ɪk /

adjective

1. without civilizing influences; uncivilized; primitive.

   barbaric invaders.

2. of, like, or befitting barbarians.

   a barbaric empire; barbaric practices.

3. crudely rich or splendid.

   barbaric decorations.

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barbaric British  

/ bɑːˈbærɪk /

adjective

1. of or characteristic of barbarians

2. primitive or unsophisticated; unrestrained

3. brutal

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Usage

What does barbaric mean? Barbaric means crude, uncivilized, or primitive. It’s often used to describe things that are cruel or brutal in a way that’s considered entirely uncivilized. Barbaric is also used to describe things that involve people considered barbarians—people who are extremely crude and uncivilized. The term barbarian was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans to refer to any foreigner. In ancient and medieval times, it was variously used to refer to non-Greeks, non-Romans, and non-Christians. The term eventually became associated with a stereotypical image of barbarians as primitive and brutish. Like the word savage, the word barbarian can be very offensive due to its use to dehumanize the people that it’s applied to, especially in a way that calls attention to their otherness or the supposed primitiveness of their culture or customs. Barbaric can also imply these same things, especially when it’s applied to the practices of a culture other than one’s own. The related word barbarous also means uncivilized, crude, or cruel. Example: We need to put an end to this barbaric violence.

Synonym Usage

See barbarian.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• barbarically
  adverb
• nonbarbaric
  adjective
• prebarbaric
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of barbaric

1480–90; < Latin barbaricus < Greek barbarikós. See barbarous, -ic

Explanation

Things that are barbaric, are uncivilized and brutal. People have different opinions about hunting — for some, it's a way of life, and for others it's barbaric. You can use the adjective barbaric to describe anything that's needlessly cruel, whether it's the inhumane treatment of people by a barbaric government, or the barbaric way your neighbor treats his dog. Another, milder, definition of barbaric is unsophisticated or uncivilized, like the barbaric behavior of someone who belches loudly in a fancy restaurant. This meaning is echoed in the Greek root barbaros, which means "foreign or rude."

Example Sentences

That led them to “reject the mandatory statutes, which they regarded as barbaric, but uphold the guided discretion approach.”

From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026

In July, when the first deportees were sent to Eswatini, a US Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman said on social media they were "so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back".

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

This statement, spoken through mechanical narration that makes it all the more barbaric, made my heart sink and my teeth grit.

From Salon • Feb. 1, 2026

One reason may be that many of the incarcerated are in bad shape and would embarrass the barbaric Ms. Rodríguez, who tries to cultivate a persona of civility by dressing like Imelda Marcos.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 17, 2026

The effect was one of enormous strength and energy and craft; he was quite big enough to carry the absurd overdecoration; on him it didn’t look preposterous, it looked barbaric and magnificent.

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

• barbarous
• brutal
• cruel
• inhuman
• uncivilized