adj · name · noun · 16 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈɛəɹi.ən/without the Mary–marry–merry merger
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈɛəjən/without the Mary–marry–merry merger
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈɑːɹi.ən/without the Mary–marry–merry merger
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈɑːjən/without the Mary–marry–merry merger
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛəɹiən
rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)jən
rhymes with -ɑːɹiən
rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)jən
homophone: Arian
homophone: Arean
CMU ARPABET:AA1 R IY0 AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Pertaining, in racial theories, to the (alleged) Aryan master race.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: non-Aryan
2
adj
Meaning 2
Pertaining to the Caucasian ethnicity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Pertaining to Caucasian racists or their organisations, theories, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, euphemistic, informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Of or pertaining to Indo-Iranian peoples, cultures, and languages.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated
Examples
1872-79: John Beames, A Comparative Grammar of the Modern Aryan Languages of India: to wit, Hindi, Panjabi, Sindhi, Gujarati, Marathi, Oriya and Bangall [W]ith all due deference to the opinions of scholars, it may be urged that much of this elaborate development arose in an age when the speech of the people had wandered very far away from the classical type. Even if it were not so, even if there ever were a time when the Aryan peasant used poly-syllabic desideratives, and was familiar with multiform aorists, it is clear that he began to satisfy himself with a simpler system at a very distant epoch, for the range of forms in Pali and the other Prakrits is far narrower than in classical Sanskrit.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
Of or pertaining to Indo-European peoples, cultures and languages.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated
Examples
1905, Rossiter Johnson, LL.D., chief editor, The Great Events by Famous Historians, volume IV Who were these Teutons? Rome knew them only vaguely as wild tribes dwelling in the gloom of the great forest wilderness. In reality they were but the vanguard of vast races of human beings who through ages had been slowly populating all Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Beyond the Teutons were other Aryans, the Slavs. Beyond these were vague non-Aryan races like the Huns. [...]
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
name
Meaning 6
The language of the original Aryans.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
name
Meaning 7
A male given name of Indian usage.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
in reference to a pseudoscientific historical race theory:
A person of Caucasian (white / Northern European) ethnicity; A white non-Jew, in the broadest sense, or more narrowly defined as people of Germanic descent.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
Qualifier: Nazism or white supremacy
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
in reference to a pseudoscientific historical race theory:
A Caucasian racist, often one who is an Aryan in the first sense.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, broadly, euphemistic, informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
noun
Meaning 10
in reference to a pseudoscientific historical race theory:
An Indo-European, a Proto-Indo-European.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, dated
Examples
1905, Rossiter Johnson, LL.D., chief editor, The Great Events by Famous Historians, volume IV We have seen that when the Goths first entered Roman territory they were driven on by a vast migration of the Asiatic Huns. These wild and hideous tribes then [...] appeared upon the Rhine, and in enormous numbers penetrated Gaul. No people had yet understood them, none had even checked their career. The white races seemed helpless against this "yellow peril", this "Scourge of God", as Attila was called. Goths and Romans and all the varied tribes which were ranging in perturbed whirl through unhappy Gaul laid aside their lesser enmities and met in common cause against this terrible invader. The battle of Châlons, 451, was the most tremendous struggle in which Turanian was ever matched against Aryan, the one huge bid of the stagnant, unprogressive races, for earth’s mastery.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
noun
Meaning 11
in reference to a pseudoscientific historical race theory:
A subdivision of the Caucasian racial and linguistic grouping, when that grouping is defined as consisting of Aryans, Semites, and Hamites.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
12
noun
Meaning 12
Synonym of Indo-Iranian (“member of any peoples speaking an Indo-Iranian language.”)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated, historical
Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Indo-Iranian
Antonyms: none provided
13
noun
Meaning 13
Synonym of Indo-Iranian (“member of any peoples speaking an Indo-Iranian language.”)
An Indo-Aryan.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, dated, historical
Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
14
adjective
Meaning 14
of or relating to the former Indo-European people
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
Indo-European migrations
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Indo-European, Indo-Aryan
Antonyms: none provided
15
noun
Meaning 15
a member of the prehistoric people who spoke Proto-Indo European
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Indo-European
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: primitive, primitive person
16
noun
Meaning 16
(according to Nazi doctrine) a Caucasian person of Nordic descent (and not a Jew)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: White, White person, Caucasian
History
Etymology
Originally from Sanskrit आर्य (ā́rya, “noble; noble one”) and + -n. The Sanskrit word is an autonym originally from Proto-Indo-Iranian *áryas (see there for more). Borrowed into English in the 19th century, at first as a term for the Indo-Iranian languages, and later partly extended to the Indo-European languages and peoples following a theory by Friedrich Schlegel that connected the Indo-Iranian words arya/ā́rya with German Ehre (“honor”) and some older Germanic names, thus assuming that it was the original Indo-European autonym meaning "the honorable people". The original meaning of the Indo-Iranian autonym and its possible Indo-European origin/cognates are disputed (see the Wikipedia article for further details). The same Proto-Indo-Iranian root is the ultimate source of the country name Iran. Also the doublet of Arya.
Across languages
Translations
194 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
آرِيّ
(ʔāriyy)
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Belarusian:
ары́йскі
(arýjski)
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Bulgarian:
арийски
(arijski)
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Catalan:
ari
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Czech:
árijský
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Danish:
arisk
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Dutch:
Arisch
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Finnish:
arjalainen
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
French:
aryen
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
French:
aryaque
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
German:
arisch
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Italian:
ariano
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Marathi:
आर्यन
(āryan)
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Persian:
آریایی
(âriyâyi)
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Polish:
aryjski
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Portuguese:
ariano
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Romanian:
arian
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Russian:
ари́йский
(aríjskij)
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Serbo-Croatian:
ȃrījskī
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Slovak:
árijský
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Spanish:
ario
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Swedish:
arisk
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Tamil:
ஆரிய
(āriya)
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Ukrainian:
арі́йський
(aríjsʹkyj)
— pertaining to the (alleged) Aryan master race
Bulgarian:
арийски
(arijski)
— used primarily by neo-Nazis: pertaining to the Caucasian race
Catalan:
ari
— used primarily by neo-Nazis: pertaining to the Caucasian race
Danish:
arisk
— used primarily by neo-Nazis: pertaining to the Caucasian race
Dutch:
Arisch
— used primarily by neo-Nazis: pertaining to the Caucasian race
Finnish:
arjalainen
— used primarily by neo-Nazis: pertaining to the Caucasian race
French:
arien
— used primarily by neo-Nazis: pertaining to the Caucasian race
German:
arisch
— used primarily by neo-Nazis: pertaining to the Caucasian race
Italian:
ariano
— used primarily by neo-Nazis: pertaining to the Caucasian race
Marathi:
आर्यन
(āryan)
— used primarily by neo-Nazis: pertaining to the Caucasian race
Portuguese:
ariano
— used primarily by neo-Nazis: pertaining to the Caucasian race
Serbo-Croatian:
ȃrījskī
— used primarily by neo-Nazis: pertaining to the Caucasian race
Swedish:
arisk
— used primarily by neo-Nazis: pertaining to the Caucasian race
Dutch:
Arisch
— euphemistic: pertaining to Caucasian racists
Marathi:
आर्यन
(āryan)
— euphemistic: pertaining to Caucasian racists
Hindi:
आर्य
(ārya)
— of or pertaining to Indo-Iranian peoples, culture, and languages
Arabic:
آرِيّ
(ʔāriyy)
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Bulgarian:
арийски
(arijski)
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Bulgarian:
индоевропейски
(indoevropejski)
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Catalan:
ari
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Danish:
arisk
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Dutch:
Arisch
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Dutch:
Indo-Iraans
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Dutch:
Proto-Indo-Europees
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Dutch:
Indo-Europees
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Dutch:
Indo-Germaans
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Finnish:
arjalainen
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
French:
aryen
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
French:
indo-européen
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
French:
indo-germanique
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
German:
arisch
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Hindi:
आर्य
(ārya)
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Italian:
ariano
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Marathi:
आर्य
(ārya)
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Norwegian Bokmål:
arisk
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Norwegian Nynorsk:
arisk
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Persian:
آریایی
(âriyâyi)
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Portuguese:
ariano
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Serbo-Croatian:
ȃrījskī
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Swedish:
arisk
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Swedish:
indoeuropeisk
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Tamil:
ஆரிய
(āriya)
— of or pertaining to Indo-European or Aryan peoples, culture, and languages
Arabic:
آرِيّ
(ʔāriyy)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Arabic:
آرِيَّة
(ʔāriyya)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Armenian:
արիացի
(ariacʻi)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Avestan:
𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀
(airiia)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Belarusian:
ары́ец
(arýjec)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Belarusian:
ары́йка
(arýjka)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Bengali:
আর্য
(arjo)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Bulgarian:
ариец
(ariec)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Bulgarian:
ари́йка
(aríjka)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Catalan:
ari
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Chinese Mandarin:
雅利安人
(Yǎlì'ān-rén)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Czech:
árijec
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Danish:
arier
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Dutch:
Ariër
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Finnish:
arjalainen
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
French:
Aryen
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
French:
Aryenne
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
German:
Arier
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
German:
Arierin
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Hebrew:
אַרִי
(arí)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Hindi:
आर्य
(ārya)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Icelandic:
Aríar
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Ido:
Aryano
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Italian:
ariano
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Japanese:
アーリア人
(Āria-jin)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Korean:
아리아인
(Aria-in)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Parthian:
𐭀𐭓𐭉
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Persian:
آریایی
(âriyâyi)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Persian:
آریان
(âryân)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Middle Persian:
𐭠𐭩𐭫
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Old Persian:
𐎠𐎼𐎡𐎹
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Polish:
Aryjczyk
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Polish:
Aryjka
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Portuguese:
ariano
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Portuguese:
ário
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Romanian:
arian
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Romanian:
ariană
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Russian:
ари́ец
(aríjec)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Russian:
ари́йка
(aríjka)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Sanskrit:
आर्य
(ā́rya)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Serbo-Croatian:
ȃrijac
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Serbo-Croatian:
ȃrījka
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Serbo-Croatian:
ȃrijevac
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Spanish:
ario
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Spanish:
aria
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Swedish:
arier
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Tagalog:
Aryo
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Tamil:
ஆரியன்
(āriyaṉ)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Tamil:
ஆரியர்
(āriyar)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Ukrainian:
арі́єць
(aríjecʹ)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Ukrainian:
арі́йка
(aríjka)
— a member of the supposed Aryan race
Dutch:
Ariër
— US, euphemistic: a Caucasian racist
Arabic:
آرِيّ
(ʔāriyy)
— an Indo-Iranian
Armenian:
արիացի
(ariacʻi)
— an Indo-Iranian
Old Armenian:
արի
(ari)
— an Indo-Iranian
Avestan:
𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀
(airiia)
— an Indo-Iranian
Bengali:
আর্য
(arjo)
— an Indo-Iranian
Czech:
Árijec
— an Indo-Iranian
Danish:
arier
— an Indo-Iranian
Dutch:
Ariër
— an Indo-Iranian
Dutch:
Indo-Iraan
— an Indo-Iranian
Finnish:
indoiranilainen
— an Indo-Iranian
Finnish:
arjalainen
— an Indo-Iranian
French:
Aryen
— an Indo-Iranian
German:
Arier
— an Indo-Iranian
Gujarati:
આર્ય
(ārya)
— an Indo-Iranian
Hindi:
आर्य
(ārya)
— an Indo-Iranian
Marathi:
आर्य
(ārya)
— an Indo-Iranian
Parthian:
𐭀𐭓𐭉
— an Indo-Iranian
Persian:
آریایی
— an Indo-Iranian
Middle Persian:
𐭠𐭩𐭫
— an Indo-Iranian
Old Persian:
𐎠𐎼𐎡𐎹
— an Indo-Iranian
Portuguese:
ariano
— an Indo-Iranian
Punjabi:
ਆਰੀਆ
(ārīā)
— an Indo-Iranian
Russian:
ари́ец
(aríjec)
— an Indo-Iranian
Russian:
ари́йка
(aríjka)
— an Indo-Iranian
Sanskrit:
आर्य
(ā́rya)
— an Indo-Iranian
Serbo-Croatian:
ȃrijac
— an Indo-Iranian
Serbo-Croatian:
ȃrījka
— an Indo-Iranian
Serbo-Croatian:
ȃrijevac
— an Indo-Iranian
Swedish:
arier
— an Indo-Iranian
Tajik:
Ориёӣ
(Oriyoyi)
— an Indo-Iranian
Arabic:
آرِيّ
(ʔāriyy)
— an Indo-European
Bengali:
আর্য
(arjo)
— an Indo-European
Catalan:
ari
— an Indo-European
Danish:
arier
— an Indo-European
Dutch:
Ariër
— an Indo-European
Dutch:
Indo-Iraan
— an Indo-European
Dutch:
Indo-Germaan
— an Indo-European
Dutch:
Indo-Europeaan
— an Indo-European
Dutch:
Proto-Indo-Europeaan
— an Indo-European
Finnish:
indoiranilainen
— an Indo-European
Finnish:
arjalainen
— an Indo-European
French:
Indo-Européen
— an Indo-European
French:
Aryen
— an Indo-European
German:
Arier
— an Indo-European
Gujarati:
આર્ય
(ārya)
— an Indo-European
Hindi:
आर्य
(ārya)
— an Indo-European
Italian:
ario
— an Indo-European
Portuguese:
ariano
— an Indo-European
Russian:
ари́ец
(aríjec)
— an Indo-European
Russian:
ари́йка
(aríjka)
— an Indo-European
Serbo-Croatian:
ȃrijac
— an Indo-European
Serbo-Croatian:
ȃrījka
— an Indo-European
Serbo-Croatian:
ȃrijevac
— an Indo-European
Swedish:
arier
— an Indo-European
Bengali:
আর্য
(arjo)
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
Burmese:
အာရိယန်
(ari.yan)
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
Danish:
arier
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
Dutch:
Ariër
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
Finnish:
arjalaiset
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
French:
Aryen
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
French:
Arien
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
German:
Arier
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
German:
Arierin
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
Hindi:
आर्य
(ārya)
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
Italian:
ario
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
Khmer:
អរិយ
(ʼaʼreyaʼ)
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
Lao:
ອາລິຍະ
(ʼā li nya)
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
Pali:
ariya
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
Portuguese:
ariano
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
Russian:
ари́ец
(aríjec)
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
Russian:
ари́йка
(aríjka)
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
Sanskrit:
आर्य
(ārya)
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
Serbo-Croatian:
ȃrijac
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
Serbo-Croatian:
ȃrījka
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
Serbo-Croatian:
ȃrijevac
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
Swedish:
arier
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
Thai:
อารย
(aa-rá-yá-)
— in ethnography, a subdivision of the Caucasian race
