ENGLISH
REFERENCE

serb

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈsɝb// serb

n. a person from Serbia or someone whose family comes from there. It also describes people who belong to the Serbian ethnic group in other countries.

n. a native or inhabitant of Serbia, or a person of Serbian descent. When referring to the ethnic group across different nations, it is often distinguished from the demonym 'Serbian' which specifically relates to the state of Serbia.


SIMPLE

My neighbor is a Serb who moved here last year.

CONTEXTUAL

The festival celebrated the local community, featuring traditional dances performed by a group of local Serbs.

COMPLEX

Historians often examine the cultural contributions of the Serbs within the broader context of Balkan history, focusing on their unique linguistic and religious traditions.

Synonyms
Origin

From Serbo-Croatian Srbi, from Proto-Slavic sьrbъ (“ally, Serb, Sorb”), from Proto-Indo-European ser- (“to protect, watch over”); akin to Latin servo (“I guard, I protect”), Old English searu (“weapons, armor”), Lithuanian sárgas (“watchman”), Ancient Greek ἥρως (hḗrōs, “hero”), Avestan 𐬵𐬀𐬭𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬌 (haraⁱti), 𐬵𐬀𐬎𐬭𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬌 (haᵘruuaⁱti, “to guard”). Doublet of Sorb.

Usage

Always capitalized as it refers to a specific ethnic group or nationality.

© 2026 English Reference