: 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
1
: of, relating to, or constituting the language Arabic
… Arabic neologisms of the nineteenth century …—
Bernard Lewis
Bernard LewisHis bibliography contains no classical Arabic texts and only a handful of dubiously transliterated recent Arabic titles …—Pierre Cachia
Pierre Cachia… edited and reviewed by Arabic scholars in Paris …—Edwin McDowell
Edwin McDowell2
: 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
Hank BordowitzThe Middle East meets the Wild West in this variation on Arabic hummus.—Steven Raichlen
Steven RaichlenThere still exist some folk instruments in Portugal whose names indicate their Arabic origin.—Alexander Buchner
Alexander BuchnerExamples of Arabic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebLauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 21 June 2024
The idea behind this partnership is to try to accomplish something similar with Arabic shows that have yet to enter the global content landscape despite the fact that production volume and quality are growing, driven mainly by Saudi Arabia’s recent media industry boom.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 18 June 2024
Alexandra Pastore, WWD, 18 June 2024
The hostage taker wore a headband with the flag used by the Islamic State that bears an Arabic inscription.
—Reuters, NBC News, 16 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for Arabic 
Noun
His teachings on Islam were accessible to many through his magazine turned media company Al-Hikmat (Hikmat means ‘wisdom’ in Arabic) and his show Al-Hikmat TV, which is streamed on YouTube and has been viewed by millions of people around the world.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 21 June 2024
The idea behind this partnership is to try to accomplish something similar with Arabic shows that have yet to enter the global content landscape despite the fact that production volume and quality are growing, driven mainly by Saudi Arabia’s recent media industry boom.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 18 June 2024
Adjective
Level Shoes currently operates 10 active social media accounts in English, Arabic and Chinese.
—Alexandra Pastore, WWD, 18 June 2024
The hostage taker wore a headband with the flag used by the Islamic State that bears an Arabic inscription.
—Reuters, NBC News, 16 June 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.
Dictionary Entries Near Arabic
Cite this Entry
“Arabic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Arabic. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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