Babylonian

1 of 2

noun

Bab·​y·​lo·​nian ˌba-bə-ˈlō-nyən How to pronounce Babylonian (audio)
-nē-ən
Synonyms of Babyloniannext
1
: a native or inhabitant of ancient Babylonia or Babylon
2
: the form of the Akkadian language used in ancient Babylonia

Babylonian

2 of 2

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Babylonia or Babylon, the Babylonians, or Babylonian
2
: marked by luxury, extravagance, or the pursuit of sensual pleasure
the Babylonian delights of the city
… the Babylonian halls of the big hotel …—G. K. Chesterton

Synonyms of Babylonian

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Adjective

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Examples of Babylonian in a Sentence

Adjective the Babylonian glitter of the city's gold coast
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In the Electronic Babylonian Library Platform, study co-author and Assyriologist Enrique Jiménez is digitizing all of the cuneiform text fragments that have been discovered around the world. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 2 July 2025 The first Temple’s razing, by the Babylonian Empire, occurred in 586 BCE; the second, in 70 CE, was perpetrated by the Romans. — Avi Shafran, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2024
Adjective
England and the colonies were still using an old calendar with roots dating back to Babylonian times. — Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 15 Mar. 2026 They’d been taken from their home in Israel and were being indoctrinated by their Babylonian captors. — Abraham McLaughlin, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for Babylonian

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1553, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Babylonian was in 1530

Rhymes for Babylonian

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Browse Nearby Words

Babylonia
Babylonian
Babylonian-Assyrian
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Babylonian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Babylonian. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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