1
2
a
: of or relating to a hypothetical ethnic type illustrated by or descended from early speakers of Indo-European languages
b
: nordic
c
—used in Nazism to designate a supposed master race of non-Jewish Caucasians usually having Nordic features
3
: of or relating to Indo-Iranian or its speakers
1
Examples of Aryan in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2025
Not altogether surprisingly, the cases actually turn out to be closely linked — by Houser (a scarily persuasive John Carroll Lynch), a transparently corrupt and fearsomely sadistic sheriff who runs the meth operation with members of the aforementioned Aryan gang.
—Joe Leydon, Variety, 1 Aug. 2025
Eugenics gained popularity in early 20th century America, and Nazi Germany embraced it to carry out Adolf Hitler’s plan for an Aryan master race.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 31 July 2025
The curious pun read to critics as a dog whistle for white supremacy, eugenics, and fascism in Trump‘s America — a wink to Sweeney’s correspondence to an Aryan archetype.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2025
Sure, the Malfoys are in effect more or less pureblood Aryan stand-ins, but this is also a series that had almost no minority characters at all and none in major roles.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
And the Nazis reinvented Jesus as a muscular Aryan hero who fought Jews.
—John Blake, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2025
An insanely brutal end for a local pawn shop owner who didn’t do anything except sell Manny a firearm and call the Aryan bikers a trio of dumbasses to their faces.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025
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.
Adjective
Sweeney, on the precipice of totalizing fame, has an adoring legion, the most extreme of whom want to recruit her as a kind of Aryan princess.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2025
Not altogether surprisingly, the cases actually turn out to be closely linked — by Houser (a scarily persuasive John Carroll Lynch), a transparently corrupt and fearsomely sadistic sheriff who runs the meth operation with members of the aforementioned Aryan gang.
—Joe Leydon, Variety, 1 Aug. 2025
Eugenics gained popularity in early 20th century America, and Nazi Germany embraced it to carry out Adolf Hitler’s plan for an Aryan master race.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 31 July 2025
The curious pun read to critics as a dog whistle for white supremacy, eugenics, and fascism in Trump‘s America — a wink to Sweeney’s correspondence to an Aryan archetype.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2025
Sure, the Malfoys are in effect more or less pureblood Aryan stand-ins, but this is also a series that had almost no minority characters at all and none in major roles.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
And the Nazis reinvented Jesus as a muscular Aryan hero who fought Jews.
—John Blake, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2025
An insanely brutal end for a local pawn shop owner who didn’t do anything except sell Manny a firearm and call the Aryan bikers a trio of dumbasses to their faces.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Aryan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Aryan. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share