Aryan
Americannoun
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Ethnology. a member or descendant of the prehistoric people who spoke Indo-European.
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(in Nazi doctrine) a non-Jewish Caucasian, especially of Nordic stock.
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(formerly) Indo-European.
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(formerly) Indo-Iranian.
adjective
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of or relating to an Aryan or the Aryans.
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(formerly) Indo-European.
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(formerly) Indo-Iranian.
noun
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(in Nazi ideology) a Caucasian of non-Jewish descent, esp of the Nordic type
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a member of any of the peoples supposedly descended from the Indo-Europeans, esp a speaker of an Iranian or Indic language in ancient times
adjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Aryan
First recorded in 1785–95; from Sanskrit ārya “of high rank” (adjective), “aristocrat” (noun) + -an
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.
Aryan Simhadri, who portrays Percy’s best friend Grover Underwood in the series, spoke out last year about an unsettling encounter with a handsy fan when a group of “40 drunk college girls” recognized him.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
Prominent Aryan Germans, by contrast, faced a moral dilemma: to stay in Nazi Germany or leave.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
"But it's only as good as one season, so the negotiations are not a done job," said Pankaj Bedi, CEO of United Aryan in Nairobi.
From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026
Back at home, Aryan has resumed school but is "still not feeling like himself. His mother tells me that every time his phone rings, he gets scared", Mr Asari said.
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2025
The word Aryan used to mean noble—it’s an old Sanskrit word, and Mom says it’s actually the root word for Iran—but it means something different now.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
