Punic

American  

[pyoo-nik] / ˈpyu nɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the ancient Carthaginians.

2. treacherous; perfidious: originally applied by the Romans to the Carthaginians.

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noun

1. the language of ancient Carthage, a form of late Phoenician.

Punic British  

/ ˈpjuːnɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to ancient Carthage or the Carthaginians

2. characteristic of the treachery of the Carthaginians

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noun

1. the language of the ancient Carthaginians; a late form of Phoenician

Etymology

Origin of Punic

< Latin Pūnicus, earlier Poenicus Carthaginian, equivalent to Poen ( us ) a Phoenician, a Carthaginian (akin to Greek Phoînix a Phoenician ) + -icus -ic

Explanation

Someone who's punic is likely to betray you. You could describe your brother as punic if he promises to keep a secret and then immediately tells it to all of his friends at school. A punic person is treacherous or two-faced, unlikely to be loyal. You risk being called punic if you're nice to your friend but gossip about her behind her back. The adjective punic is sometimes capitalized, and in that case it means "of or relating to Carthage," which was a famous ancient empire and is still a city in Tunisia today. Because the ancient Romans thought the Carthaginians were traitorous and unreliable, punic came to also have this meaning.

Example Sentences

The result led them to believe it is from the Second Punic War.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

And Carthage’s defeat in the Third Punic War in 146 B.C. occasioned 600 years of Roman supremacy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

As the home of ancient Carthage and its Punic culture, and as a major Roman colony that helped provide the empire with food, Tunisia is awash with classical-era sites and archaeological remains.

From Reuters • Sep. 5, 2023

“Do you want to read?” one of the third graders, Parker, asked his partner after the lesson on the Punic Wars.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 9, 2023

She ran her finger along the volumes of military history, lingered at The Second Punic War, and stopped at The Reason Why.

From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee