Aryan

[ air-ee-uhn, air-yuhn, ar- ]

noun
  1. Ethnology. a member or descendant of the prehistoric people who spoke Indo-European.

  2. (in Nazi doctrine) a non-Jewish Caucasian, especially of Nordic stock.

  1. (formerly) Indo-European.

  2. (formerly) Indo-Iranian.

adjective
  1. of or relating to an Aryan or the Aryans.

  2. (formerly) Indo-European.

  1. (formerly) Indo-Iranian.

Origin of Aryan

1
First recorded in 1785–95; from Sanskrit ārya “of high rank” (adjective), “aristocrat” (noun) + -an
  • Also Ar·i·an [air-ee-uhn, ar‐] /ˈɛər i ən, ˈær‐/ .

Other words from Aryan

  • non-Ar·y·an, noun, adjective
  • pre-Ar·y·an, adjective
  • pseu·do-Ar·y·an, adjective, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Aryan in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Aryan

Aryan

Arian

/ (ˈɛərɪən) /


noun
  1. (in Nazi ideology) a Caucasian of non-Jewish descent, esp of the Nordic type

  2. a member of any of the peoples supposedly descended from the Indo-Europeans, esp a speaker of an Iranian or Indic language in ancient times

adjective
  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of an Aryan or Aryans

adjective, noun
  1. archaic Indo-European

Origin of Aryan

1
C19: from Sanskrit ārya of noble birth

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