Serbian

American  

[sur-bee-uhn] / ˈsɜr bi ən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Serbia, its inhabitants, or their language.

---

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Serbia, especially one of the Slavic peoples inhabiting it.

2. Serbo-Croatian, especially as spoken and written in Serbia.

Serbian British  

/ ˈsɜːbɪən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Serbia, its people, or their language (formerly regarded as a dialect of Serbo-Croat)

---

noun

1. the language spoken in Serbia

2. 1. a native or inhabitant of Serbia

   2. a speaker of the Serbian language

Usage

See See at Bosnian

Other Word Forms

• pseudo-Serbian
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Serbian

First recorded in 1860–65; Serb + -ian

Example Sentences

Ukraine's delicate ballad Ridnym includes a breathtaking 30-second-long high note; while Serbian band Lavina unleash a blood-curdling scream at the end of their metalcore ballad, Kraj Mene.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

“Half the team is from the Balkans,” said Misko Raznatovic, a Serbian basketball agent who represents four-fifths of the quintet, along with NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

But I also value the chance to spend a morning chatting with neighbors over coffee, learning about local life and slowly improving my Serbian.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

Serbian midfielder Samardzic held his composure to slam home the penalty left-footed with the ball glancing the underside of the crossbar on its way into the net.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Two Serbs who have never met might risk their lives to save one another because both believe in the existence of the Serbian nation, the Serbian homeland and the Serbian flag.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari