From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbarbarianbar‧bar‧i‧an /bɑːˈbeəriən $ bɑːrˈber-/ noun [countable] 1 SANSHsomeone from a different tribe or land, who people believe to be wild and not civilized The Roman Empire came under severe pressure from the barbarians across the Rhine.2 BAD PERSONsomeone who does not behave properly, and does not show proper respect for education, art etc The youths were described as uncivilised barbarians who savagely attacked innocent victims.3 someone who behaves in a way that is cruel and uncivilized
Examples from the Corpus
barbarian• His friends are a bunch of barbarians - they don't even wash their hands before they eat.• Other poets celebrated the victories of the Seleucids and of the Attalids against the same barbarians.• We have brought the barbarian across the Rhine in order to help defend our frontiers.• Next day the barbarians strove with no better success.• Is Gates the barbarian at the gates of the banks?• He was not the man to deny the Romans access to the wealth of the barbarians.• The barbarians conquered Rome.• A quick end, rather than torture and rape at the hands of those barbarians in the hall.• It has often been noted that while barbarians fight with hatchets, civilised men fight with gossip.Origin barbarian (1300-1400) Old French barbarien, from Latin barbarus; → BARBAROUS 