Hungarian

[ huhng-gair-ee-uhn ]

/ hʌŋˈgɛər i ən /

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adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of Hungary, its people, or their language.

noun

a native or inhabitant of Hungary. Compare Magyar.

Also called Magyar. the language of Hungary, of the Uralic family of languages.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Hungarian

First recorded in 1545–55; Hungary + -an

OTHER WORDS FROM Hungarian

an·ti-Hun·gar·i·an, adjective, nounpro-Hun·gar·i·an, adjective, nounpseu·do-Hun·gar·i·an, adjective, noun

Words nearby Hungarian

hundredth, hundredweight, Hundred Years' War, Huneker, hung, Hungarian, Hungarian bromegrass, Hungarian goulash, Hungary, hunger, hungerly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Hungarian in a sentence

We did elementary ballet today, which was fun, and also a Hungarian rhapsody!
Finding the Future Queen Elizabeth in the Pages of Her Friend’s Wartime Diary|Isabella Naylor-Leyland|May 4, 2021|Time
It’s named for the Hungarian-born physicist Theodore von Kármán.
Explainer: Our atmosphere — layer by layer|Beth Geiger|December 1, 2020|Science News For Students
In addition, her husband, Péter Magyar, is childhood friends with a top Orbán government official, Gergely Gulyás, according to the Hungarian Spectrum blog.
Meet the ‘Charm Cannon’ for Hungary’s Regime|Pallabi Munsi|October 25, 2020|Ozy
It’s all part of the package for the woman Hungarian President Viktor Orbán has called his “Charm Cannon.”
Meet the ‘Charm Cannon’ for Hungary’s Regime|Pallabi Munsi|October 25, 2020|Ozy

The Hungarian politician Józseph Eötvös, among many others, agreed.
‘Freedom’ Means Something Different to Liberals and Conservatives. Here’s How the Definition Split—And Why That Still Matters|Annelien de Dijn|August 25, 2020|Time
One of them was Tamás Deutsch, a future minister for FIDESZ in the Hungarian government, today an MEP.
How Havel Inspired the Velvet Revolution|Michael Zantovsky|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At about 10 p.m., a horde of Hungarian police officers raided the bar, demanding that everybody show their identification.
American Racist Richard Spencer Gets to Play the Martyr in Hungary|James Kirchick|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Hungarian photographer was born Endre Friedmann in Hungary in 1913.
Capa in Color|Justin Jones|January 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After an unhelpful spell with a Hungarian coach in Budapest, she arrived in Berlin.
The Week in Death: The First Muslim Female Olympian Snubbed Adolf Hitler|The Telegraph|January 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In Budapest he chose to use this status to save Hungarian Jews, later explaining simply that “I had an opportunity and I took it.”
The Week in Death: Suzanne Gelleri Dear|The Telegraph|December 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
When in fine condition, Hungarian leaf burns freely and leaves a clean, light-colored ash.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
She would sing Hungarian love-ditties at her work; and somehow calling these "folksongs" did not help matters.
Love's Pilgrimage|Upton Sinclair
The principal Bosnian railway here crosses the river, to meet the Hungarian system.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
Hapless young man, like a flash of lightning suddenly going down there—and the Hungarian Sovereignty along with him.
History Of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Vol. III. (of XXI.)|Thomas Carlyle
The first notes of a Hungarian waltz floated in from the next room.
The Child of Pleasure|Gabriele D'Annunzio

British Dictionary definitions for Hungarian

Hungarian

/ (hʌŋˈɡɛərɪən) /

noun

the official language of Hungary, also spoken in Romania and elsewhere, belonging to the Finno-Ugric family and most closely related to the Ostyak and Vogul languages of NW Siberia

a native, inhabitant, or citizen of Hungary

a Hungarian-speaking person who is not a citizen of Hungary

adjective

of or relating to Hungary, its people, or their language

Compare Magyar

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