Arabic

[ar-uh-bik]

adjective

1. of, belonging to, or derived from the language or literature of the Arabs.

2. noting, pertaining to, or derived from an alphabetic script in which etymologically short vowels are not normally represented, used for the writing of Arabic probably since about the fourth century a.d., and adopted with modifications by Persian, Urdu, and many other languages.

3. of or relating to Arabs.

4. of or relating to Arabia or its inhabitants; Arabian.

noun

1. a Semitic language that developed out of the language of the Arabians of the time of Muhammad, now spoken in countries of the Middle East and North Africa. Ar, Ar.

2. the standard literary and classical language as established by the Quran.

Arabic

/ ˈærəbɪk /

noun

1. the language of the Arabs, spoken in a variety of dialects; the official language of Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, the Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen. It is estimated to be the native language of some 75 million people throughout the world. It belongs to the Semitic subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic family of languages and has its own alphabet, which has been borrowed by certain other languages such as Urdu

adjective

1. denoting or relating to this language, any of the peoples that speak it, or the countries in which it is spoken

Other Word Forms

• anti-Arabic adjective
• non-Arabic adjective
• pro-Arabic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Arabic¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English arabik, from Latin Arabicus “Arabian,” equivalent to Arab(ia) + -icus adjective suffix; -ic

Example Sentences

Because she had grown up speaking French, Arabic, and her parents' Sicilian dialect, her accent was seen as unacceptable, and her voice was dubbed by other Italian actors.

From BBC

The IDF's Arabic language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, also wrote on X that there was "vital humanitarian infrastructure" in al-Mawasi "alongside the continuous provision of food supplies, tents, medicines and medical supplies".

From BBC

Munsch has sold more than 80 million copies of his books in North America alone and they have been translated into at least 20 language - including Arabic, Spanish and Anishinaabemowin, an indigenous North American language.

From BBC

During a summit of Arabic and Islamic States on Monday held in Doha, its leaders berated Israel and demanded concrete punitive actions.

From Los Angeles Times

The military's Arabic spokesman told as many as one million Palestinians living in Gaza's biggest urban centre to evacuate southwards.

From BBC