Arabic

1 of 2

noun

Ar·​a·​bic ˈa-rə-bik How to pronounce Arabic (audio)
ˈer-ə-
: a Semitic language originally of the Arabs of the Hejaz and Nejd that is now the prevailing speech of a wide region of southwestern Asia and northern Africa

Arabic

2 of 2

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or constituting the language Arabic
Arabic neologisms of the nineteenth century …Bernard Lewis
His bibliography contains no classical Arabic texts and only a handful of dubiously transliterated recent Arabic titles …Pierre Cachia
… edited and reviewed by Arabic scholars in Paris …Edwin McDowell
2
: expressed in or utilizing Arabic numerals
21 is an Arabic number.
Arabic notation
3
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Arabia or the Arabs
As Arabic music permeates various other sounds, so are western sounds finding their way into various Arabic musics.Hank Bordowitz
The Middle East meets the Wild West in this variation on Arabic hummus.Steven Raichlen
There still exist some folk instruments in Portugal whose names indicate their Arabic origin.Alexander Buchner

Examples of Arabic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In Chicago, voters can choose to vote in one of 12 languages on touchscreen machines: English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Polish, Korean, Tagalog, Gujarati, Urdu, Arabic, Ukrainian, and Russian. Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2024 The deal will see the shows carried in English subtitled in Arabic. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Oct. 2024
Adjective
The Arabic and Hebrew posters displayed in Palestine Square (Felestin Square) include the phrase, 'When a great person is lost, another great person comes in their place'. Kristian Burt, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2024 Most polls over the last year have shown Palestinians more inclined to embrace the militancy of Hamas, an Arabic acronym for Islamic Resistance Movement. Karl Vick, TIME, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Arabic 

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

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Arabic was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near Arabic

Cite this Entry

“Arabic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Arabic. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

Arabic

1 of 2 adjective
Ar·​a·​bic ˈar-ə-bik How to pronounce Arabic (audio)
1
2
: expressed in or making use of Arabic numerals

Arabic

2 of 2 noun
: a Semitic language that is the chief language of a wide region of southwestern Asia and northern Africa

Medical Definition

arabic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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