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

• nonbarbaric
  adjective
• prebarbaric
  adjective
• barbarically
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of barbaric

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

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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

See Examples For:

barbaric

Rouhi Fattouh, president of the Palestinian National Council, described the arson attack on the mosque as "a barbaric act and a dangerous escalation in settler terrorism".

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

The planned public display is, in a word, barbaric.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026

What should the Jewish nation do at a site where barbaric crimes were committed against its people?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Vikings weren’t just “simple, uncivilized, barbaric hordes,” says historian after a huge 1,000-year-old textile production site was discovered.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026

The new prisoners were appalled by what they considered the barbaric conditions of the island, and said they could not understand how we could live in such a way.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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Related Words

• barbarous
• brutal
• cruel
• inhuman
• uncivilized

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