Aryan

1 of 2

adjective

Ary·​an ˈa-rē-ən How to pronounce Aryan (audio)
ˈer-ē-;
ˈär-yən How to pronounce Aryan (audio)
1
2
a
: of or relating to a hypothetical ethnic type illustrated by or descended from early speakers of Indo-European languages
b
: nordic
c
used in Nazism to designate a supposed master race of non-Jewish Caucasians usually having Nordic features
3
: of or relating to Indo-Iranian or its speakers

Aryan

2 of 2

noun

1
2
a
: nordic
b

Examples of Aryan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
All are compromised, including the quintessential Aryan hero, Siegfried, who doesn’t show up until later in the cycle. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2024 Other scenes show Nazi officers shooting people and arresting a couple for breaking the laws forbidding relationships between Aryan and Jewish Germans. Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 19 Jan. 2024 Juliet enters the church looking like some kind of Aryan virgin princess. Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023 In the previous decades, the Nazis had cited faulty science to claim the Aryan race was superior. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 19 Oct. 2023 Proving one’s status as a pure-blooded Aryan unlocked access to membership in the Nazi Party, to the military and state apparatus, to a university education. Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 20 July 2023 Shown at the White House and endorsed by President Woodrow Wilson, The Birth of a Nation promoted the myth of the Lost Cause, falsified the history of Reconstruction, reactivated the Ku Klux Klan, and promoted a new national narrative based on Aryan birthright. J. Hoberman, The New Republic, 22 June 2023 Homelander is an Aryan super-sociopath, a gleaming Mr. America with a license to kill. Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2023 While Alwyn was strapping and Aryan enough to be convincingly cast as a Nazi, Healy has the Victorian-street-urchin vibe previously employed by the likes of Pete Doherty. Vulture, 3 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Aryan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Sanskrit ārya noble, belonging to an ancient people of northern India speaking an Indo-European dialect

First Known Use

Adjective

1839, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Aryan was in 1839

Dictionary Entries Near Aryan

Cite this Entry

“Aryan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Aryan. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Aryan

noun
Ary·​an
ˈar-ē-ən,
ˈer-,
ˈär-yən
1
2
: a member of the subgroup of Indo-European speakers ancestral to speakers of Indo-Aryan and Iranian languages
Aryan adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on Aryan

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!