Arabic

[ ar-uh-bik ]

/ ˈær ə bɪk /

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See synonyms for Arabic on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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

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.

of or relating to Arabs.

of or relating to Arabia or its inhabitants; Arabian.

noun

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. Abbreviations: Ar, Ar.

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

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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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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Origin of Arabic

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

OTHER WORDS FROM Arabic

an·ti-Ar·a·bic, adjectivenon-Ar·a·bic, adjectivepro-Ar·a·bic, adjective

Words nearby Arabic

Arabian Nights, Arabian Nights' Entertainments, Arabian oryx, Arabian Sea, Arabia Petraea, Arabic, arabica bean, arabica coffee, Arabicize, Arabic numeral, arabinose

How to use Arabic in a sentence

The characters speak Hausa, Fulani, and Arabic and could be in Nigeria, Mali or Burkina Faso, where Boko Haram has made headway of late.
The Potential Oscar Film That’s Too Hot for the Nigerian Government|Daniel Malloy|December 16, 2020|Ozy
See, by then, I had spent two months learning Darija, the Moroccan dialect of Arabic, in addition to the four years of Modern Standard Arabic that I took in college.
The Best Taco in Morocco? Hell, Yeah!|Eugene Robinson|December 15, 2020|Ozy
The stories are based in the Middle East and North Africa and resemble a tray of assorted Arabic sweets.
With travel podcasts, explore the world through your ear buds|Andrea Sachs|December 11, 2020|Washington Post
The future for Yemi, a Nigerian former student, was laid out in a contract written in Arabic which she signed in an office in Lagos in June 2019 to enable a recruitment agency bring her to work in Lebanon.
African workers in Lebanon are stuck and unpaid by an exploitative labor system worsened by Covid|Dario Sabaghi|October 30, 2020|Quartz

The Israeli Foreign Ministry, on the other hand, operates an Arabic-language Facebook profile to reach people in Iraq, where Facebook is popular.
Why Russia, China and Iran Love Twitter — Without Really Being on It|Pallabi Munsi|October 7, 2020|Ozy
His discourse is now more detailed: submission, which is the meaning of islam in Arabic, gives him a kind of enjoyment.
Houellebecq’s Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President|Pierre Assouline|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Even for Arabic dance no one wears a long dress, just a scarf around the hips.
Iran’s Becoming a Footloose Nation as Dance Lessons Spread|IranWire|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
She attends hip-hop and belly dance classes (known as Arabic dance in Iran) just to shine more at parties.
Iran’s Becoming a Footloose Nation as Dance Lessons Spread|IranWire|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The group puts out most of its statements—on its Twitter feed, or its numerous websites—in Arabic, as opposed to Baluchi or Farsi.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan|Umar Farooq|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The outlets giving these pronouncements the most airtime are Arabic news stations in the Gulf.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan|Umar Farooq|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There is something pleasant in this monk's having had both a Latin and an Arabic name.
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 1 (of 10)|Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)
Have ready some very clear and weak gum-arabic water, or some thin starch, or rice-water.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness|Florence Hartley
The princess may love the gems in his turban, his Arabic verses; but not even here in Sicily will she wed an infidel.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis
From the benches came countless curses and jeers—Frankish and Arabic; he heeded none.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis
It was about this time, too, that the encouragement of the study of Arabic in the university began.
A History of the Cambridge University Press|S. C. Roberts

British Dictionary definitions for Arabic

Arabic

/ (ˈærəbɪk) /

noun

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

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

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