Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Fabian

1 American  
[fey-bee-uhn] / ˈfeɪ bi ən /

adjective

  1. seeking victory by delay and harassment rather than by a decisive battle as in the manner of Fabius Maximus.

    Fabian policy.

  2. of or relating to the Fabian Society.


noun

  1. a member of or sympathizer with the Fabian Society.

Fabian 2 American  
[fey-bee-uhn] / ˈfeɪ bi ən /

noun

  1. Saint, died a.d. 250, pope 236–250.

  2. a male given name.


Fabian British  
/ ˈfeɪbɪən /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or resembling the delaying tactics of the Roman general Quintus Fabius Maximus; cautious; circumspect

"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

noun

  1. a member of or sympathizer with the Fabian Society

"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

Etymology

Origin of Fabian

First recorded in 1590–1600, Fabian is from the Latin word Fabiānus

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Their squad is packed with talent such as Pedri, Fabian Ruiz, Martin Zubimendi, 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri and Lamine Yamal, who is one of the best young players in the world.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Sun Valley Poly 4, San Fernando 2: Fabian Bravo gave up four hits in 6 2/3 innings for the Parrots, who are tied with Sylmar for first place in the Valley Mission League.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Part of the problem is industry reluctance to invest heavily in new production lines without guaranteed long-term government contracts, said Fabian Hoffmann, a doctoral research fellow at the University of Oslo.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

The 24-year-old, who has slipped to 15th in the world after reaching a career-high ranking of fourth in June, will play Hungary's Fabian Marozsan or France's Arthur Rinderknech next.

From BBC • Feb. 23, 2026

Mr. Fabian understands why music is so hard for me, but will Ms. Parker?

From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari