barbaric

American  

[bahr-bar-ik] / bɑrˈbær ɪk /

adjective

1. without civilizing influences; uncivilized; primitive.

   barbaric invaders.

2. of, like, or befitting barbarians.

   a barbaric empire; barbaric practices.

3. crudely rich or splendid.

   barbaric decorations.

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barbaric British  

/ bɑːˈbærɪk /

adjective

1. of or characteristic of barbarians

2. primitive or unsophisticated; unrestrained

3. brutal

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Usage

What does barbaric mean? Barbaric means crude, uncivilized, or primitive. It’s often used to describe things that are cruel or brutal in a way that’s considered entirely uncivilized. Barbaric is also used to describe things that involve people considered barbarians—people who are extremely crude and uncivilized. The term barbarian was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans to refer to any foreigner. In ancient and medieval times, it was variously used to refer to non-Greeks, non-Romans, and non-Christians. The term eventually became associated with a stereotypical image of barbarians as primitive and brutish. Like the word savage, the word barbarian can be very offensive due to its use to dehumanize the people that it’s applied to, especially in a way that calls attention to their otherness or the supposed primitiveness of their culture or customs. Barbaric can also imply these same things, especially when it’s applied to the practices of a culture other than one’s own. The related word barbarous also means uncivilized, crude, or cruel. Example: We need to put an end to this barbaric violence.

Related Words

See barbarian.

Other Word Forms

• barbarically
  adverb
• nonbarbaric
  adjective
• prebarbaric
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of barbaric

1480–90; < Latin barbaricus < Greek barbarikós. See barbarous, -ic

Explanation

Things that are barbaric, are uncivilized and brutal. People have different opinions about hunting — for some, it's a way of life, and for others it's barbaric. You can use the adjective barbaric to describe anything that's needlessly cruel, whether it's the inhumane treatment of people by a barbaric government, or the barbaric way your neighbor treats his dog. Another, milder, definition of barbaric is unsophisticated or uncivilized, like the barbaric behavior of someone who belches loudly in a fancy restaurant. This meaning is echoed in the Greek root barbaros, which means "foreign or rude."

Example Sentences

In a 48-page memo released on Friday, the department says this will "strengthen" the death penalty, "deterring the most barbaric crimes, delivering justice for victims, and providing long-overdue closure to surviving loved ones".

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

In July, when the first deportees were sent to Eswatini, a US Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman said on social media they were "so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back".

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

Woods denounced the gas chamber just as others in Arizona had once denounced hanging, saying that it was barbaric and out of step with modern standards of justice.

From Slate • Feb. 24, 2026

This statement, spoken through mechanical narration that makes it all the more barbaric, made my heart sink and my teeth grit.

From Salon • Feb. 1, 2026

Or rather she doesn’t look the way she did when I last saw her, in her wide cotton skirt and barbaric bracelet, elegant and confident.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

• barbarous
• brutal
• cruel
• inhuman
• uncivilized