Ian

[ ee-uhn, ee-ahn, ahy-uhn ]

/ ˈi ən, ˈi ɑn, ˈaɪ ən /

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noun

a male given name, Scottish form of John.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Other definitions for Ian (2 of 2)

-ian

a suffix with the same meaning and properties as -an, though-ian is now the more productive of the two suffixes in recent coinages, especially when the base noun ends in a consonant: Orwellian; Washingtonian.

Origin of -ian

Extracted from Latin loanwords in which -ānus (adjective suffix) is joined to stems ending in i; see -an

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Ian in a sentence

Yes, the original Bond, as imagined by Ian Fleming, was obviously white.
Rush Limbaugh’s Fear of a Black James Bond|Dean Obeidallah|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The medical record, from an Ebola case, made for grim reading, but Dr. Ian Crozier could not put it down.
The Daily Beast’s Best Longreads, Dec 8-14, 2014|William Boot|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He went on to thank his family, his gallerist, distributor, and paid tribute to artist Ian White.
Has the Turner Prize Gone Soft?|David Levesley|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Oh, and that his profile on Twitter and his name elsewhere say “Ian Miles Cheong” whereas mine says “Arthur Chu.”
Rage Against GamerGate’s Hate Machine: What I Got For Speaking Up|Arthur Chu|November 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Update: Ian Sams, a spokesman for the DNC, has informed me that the airbone creature was, a Cliff Hawk.
Dems' Unspeakably Lame Bridgegate Stunt|Olivia Nuzzi|September 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"Headmen" they have, leaders of various degrees of authority, but no Vich Ian Vohr, no semi-sacred representative of the tribe.
Myth, Ritual, and Religion, Vol. 1|Andrew Lang
Ophid′ian, Ophid′ious, pertaining to serpents: having the nature of a serpent.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R)|Various
Sheumais must wait till Ian Macarthur came back again, which might be any day now.
Great Ghost Stories|Various
She was at Ranza-Mr, and when a shadow came into the dairy where she was standing she looked up, and saw Ian before her.
Great Ghost Stories|Various
Before the great venture began Sir Ian Hamilton had to throw the enemy off the scent.
The Childrens' Story of the War, Volume 4 (of 10)|James Edward Parrott

British Dictionary definitions for Ian

-ian

suffix

a variant of -an Etonian; Johnsonian

Word Origin for -ian

from Latin -iānus

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012