# Egyptian

/ɪˈdʒɪpʃən/ (US)

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

## Senses

### 1. originating from Egypt

adjective · CEFR A1

relating to the country of Egypt, its people, or its culture.

For teachers: pertaining to the modern nation of Egypt or the historical civilisation of the Nile Valley.

- We spent the afternoon looking at Egyptian statues in the museum.
- The Egyptian government has implemented new policies to protect archaeological sites from urban encroachment and environmental degradation.

### 2. a person

noun · CEFR A1

a person who comes from Egypt.

For teachers: a native or inhabitant of Egypt, or a person of Egyptian descent.

- My new neighbour is an Egyptian who moved here to study engineering.
- The conference brought together Egyptians from various professional backgrounds to discuss the future of renewable energy in North Africa.

### 3. ancient language

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

the language used by people in ancient Egypt, often written in pictures called hieroglyphs.

For teachers: the extinct Afroasiatic language of ancient Egypt, typically referring to the stages of the language prior to Coptic.

- Scholars spent years trying to translate Egyptian written on tomb walls.
- The decipherment of the Rosetta Stone allowed linguists to reconstruct the grammar and phonology of Middle Egyptian with remarkable precision.

### 4. modern dialect

noun · CEFR B2

the specific type of Arabic spoken by people in Egypt today.

For teachers: the modern Egyptian Arabic dialect, which is widely understood across the Arab world due to Egyptian media influence.

- If you want to watch these movies, it helps to learn some Egyptian.
- While Modern Standard Arabic is used for formal writing, Egyptian is the primary vehicle for popular music and television throughout the region.

## Examples

- The Egyptian explained the history of the pyramids to the tourists.
- Many modern Egyptians take great pride in the architectural achievements of their ancestors along the Nile.
- While the Rosetta Stone provided the key to deciphering hieroglyphs, it also revealed the complex relationship between the Egyptian elite and their Greek-speaking rulers.

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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.