Arabic

American  

[ar-uh-bik] / ˈær ə bɪk /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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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

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Etymology

Origin of Arabic

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Arabic

The giant star's name comes from the Arabic expression meaning "the hand of al-Jawza," while Siwarha means "her bracelet."

From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026

When the sentence was announced, the man said in Arabic: "I went to Syria, but it was my mother who chose for me. What is my fault?"

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

BBC Verify has studied satellite images that show extensive burnt buildings in the north-east corner of Amiet Market, which is also known in Arabic as Al-Na'am Market.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

She always looks forward to seeing her friends and learning about everything from maths to Arabic and Islamic studies.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

Monks discovered that the astrolabe, an Arabic invention, was a handy tool for keeping track of time in the evening, helping them keep their prayers on schedule.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

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