Slavic

American  

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

noun

1. 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.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Slavs or their languages.

Slavic British  

/ ˈslɑːvɪk /

noun

1. another word (esp US) for Slavonic

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Other Word Forms

• anti-Slavic adjective
• non-Slavic adjective
• pro-Slavic adjective

Etymology

Origin of Slavic

First recorded in 1805–15; Slav + -ic

Example Sentences

Mr. Morson is a professor of Slavic literature at Northwestern University.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 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

The Magura V5, named after a Slavic goddess of war, looks like a small motorboat with a flat surface instead of passenger seats.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2024

Because it was really in Poland, or, more accurately, in the Slavic countries of eastern Europe, that Danny’s soul had been born.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok