Ian
noun
a male given name, Scottish form of John.
Ian
1 American
[ee-uhn, ee-ahn, ahy-uhn]
/ ˈi ən, ˈi ɑn, ˈaɪ ən /
noun
-ian
2
American
-ian
British
suffix
Etymology
Origin of -ian
Extracted from Latin loanwords in which -ānus (adjective suffix) is joined to stems ending in i; see -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.
See Examples For:
Replays drew the attention of the third umpire, Englishman Ian Gould.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
Year: 2016 Compiled by: Jonathan L. Fischer, Ian Prasad Philbrick, and Daniel Hubbard Of note: The state represented at No. 1 has not given its electoral votes to a Republican presidential candidate since George H.W.
From Slate ● Oct. 7, 2026
Ian Howard was shocked to get a $1,000 bill for a brief visit to the emergency room that determined he sprained his ankle in a fall last year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Ian Silverstein, DLVR’s owner, didn’t respond to requests for comment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
Ian and Susie each grabbed one of Frank’s arms.
From "Hopping Mad (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #4)" by Franklin W. Dixon
The adjectivally ennobled: the ones whose names sprout "-esque" and "-ian".
From The Guardian ● Jan. 15, 2013
Note.—These verbs have no trace of original umlaut, since their -ian was once -ōjan.
From Anglo-Saxon Grammar and Exercise Book with Inflections, Syntax, Selections for Reading, and Glossary by C. Alphonso (Charles Alphonso) Smith
Distinction is to be made, therefore, only between Classes II and I. Class II contains the verbs with infinitive in -ian not preceded by r.
From Anglo-Saxon Grammar and Exercise Book with Inflections, Syntax, Selections for Reading, and Glossary by C. Alphonso (Charles Alphonso) Smith
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.
