Aryan

[ air-ee-uhn, air-yuhn, ar- ]
/ ˈɛər i ən, ˈɛər yən, ˈær- /

noun

Ethnology. a member or descendant of the prehistoric people who spoke Indo-European.
(in Nazi doctrine) a non-Jewish Caucasian, especially of Nordic stock.
(formerly) Indo-European.
(formerly) Indo-Iranian.

adjective

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Also Ar·i·an [air-ee-uhn, ar‐] /ˈɛər i ən, ˈær‐/ .

Origin of Aryan

1785–95; <Sanskrit ārya “of high rank” (adjective), “aristocrat” (noun) + -an

OTHER WORDS FROM Aryan

non-Ar·y·an, noun, adjectivepre-Ar·y·an, adjectivepseu·do-Ar·y·an, adjective, noun

Words nearby Aryan

A.R.V., Arvada, ARVN, arvo, ary, Aryan, Aryanize, aryballos, aryballus, aryepiglottic, aryepiglottic fold
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for Aryan

British Dictionary definitions for Aryan

Aryan

Arian

/ (ˈɛərɪən) /

noun

(in Nazi ideology) a Caucasian of non-Jewish descent, esp of the Nordic type
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

of, relating to, or characteristic of an Aryan or Aryans

adjective, noun

archaic Indo-European

Word Origin for Aryan

C19: from Sanskrit ārya of noble birth
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