Slavic

American

[slah-vik, slav-ik] / ˈslɑ vɪk, ˈslæv ɪk /

noun

a branch of the Indo-European family of languages, usually divided into East Slavic (Russian, Ukrainian, Byelorussian), West Slavic (Polish, Czech, Slovak, Sorbian), and South Slavic (Old Church Slavonic, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Serbo-Croatian, Slovenian). Slav, Slav.

adjective

of or relating to the Slavs or their languages.

Slavic British

/ ˈslɑːvɪk /

noun

another word (esp US) for Slavonic

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of Slavic

First recorded in 1805–15; Slav + -ic

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.

The city began life as a nameless Celtic settlement, but Prague’s history starts in earnest in the Middle Ages, when it flourished as the capital of the Slavic duchy-turned-kingdom of Bohemia.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

In Friuli-Venezia Giulia, for example, Slavic and Austro-Hungarian influences show up in smoked meats, dumplings, and fermented flavors.

From Salon • Jan. 24, 2026

Baker: When I was looking for a name, I literally looked at names from the Slavic region.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2024

Long bound to Russia by history, common Slavic roots and a shared Orthodox Christian faith, Bulgaria was once so loyal to the Kremlin it asked to be absorbed into the Soviet Union.

From New York Times • May 1, 2024

Out on the platform a street musician played a teary Slavic melody on an accordion.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023