# Babylonian

/ˌbæbəˈɫoʊniən/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/babylonian
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. historical empire

adjective · CEFR B2

relating to the ancient city of Babylon or the empire it ruled.

For teachers: pertaining to the city of Babylon or the ancient Mesopotamian empire of Babylonia.

- The museum has a large collection of Babylonian clay tablets.
- Babylonian mathematics was remarkably advanced for its time, utilizing a sexagesimal system that still influences how we measure time today.

### 2. grand or decadent

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

describing something that is huge, very rich, or full of luxury and bad behavior.

For teachers: characteristic of the perceived decadence, luxury, or immense scale of ancient Babylon; often used figuratively to imply moral corruption.

- The party was a Babylonian display of wealth and excess.
- The critic described the city's new architecture as Babylonian in its scale, suggesting both impressive ambition and wasteful indulgence.

### 3. a person

noun · CEFR B2

a person who lived in ancient Babylon.

For teachers: an inhabitant of the city of Babylon or the region of Babylonia.

- The ancient Babylonians were famous for their study of the stars.
- Historians believe the Babylonians developed complex legal codes that served as a foundation for later civilizations in the Near East.

### 4. the language

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the ancient language spoken in Babylon.

For teachers: a dialect of the Akkadian language used in ancient Mesopotamia from approximately 1950 BCE.

- He spent years learning to read Babylonian inscriptions.
- The epic was originally composed in Babylonian, though later versions were translated into other regional dialects.

Usage: Usually treated as an uncountable noun when referring to the language.

## Examples

- The museum has a large collection of Babylonian art.
- Archaeologists spent decades excavating the Babylonian ruins to understand the city's complex irrigation systems.
- The poet used Babylonian imagery to critique the modern city, comparing its towering skyscrapers and perceived decadence to the biblical descriptions of the ancient empire's fall.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.