Aryan

American  

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

Also Arian

noun

1. Ethnology. a member or descendant of the prehistoric people who spoke Indo-European.

2. (in Nazi doctrine) a non-Jewish Caucasian, especially of Nordic stock.

3. (formerly) Indo-European.

4. (formerly) Indo-Iranian.

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adjective

1. of or relating to an Aryan or the Aryans.

2. (formerly) Indo-European.

3. (formerly) Indo-Iranian.

Aryan British  

/ ˈɛərɪən /

noun

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

2. 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

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adjective

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

adjective

1. archaic Indo-European

Other Word Forms

• non-Aryan noun
• pre-Aryan adjective
• pseudo-Aryan adjective

Etymology

Origin of Aryan

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

Example Sentences

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

Aryan stepped out on the terrace and started making videos of the house to show to his friends.

From BBC • Jun. 17, 2025

Aryan, he explained, was an aeroplane enthusiast and liked looking at them as they flew in the sky over his village.

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