Ian
noun
a male given name, Scottish form of John.
Ian
1 American
[ee-uhn, ee-ahn, ahy-uhn]
/ ˈi ən, ˈi ɑn, ˈaɪ ən /
noun
-ian
2
American
-ian
British
suffix
Etymology
Origin of -ian
Extracted from Latin loanwords in which -ānus (adjective suffix) is joined to stems ending in i; see -an
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“After 30 years as a band, I can honestly say that’s the best song we’ve ever done,” says Ian, the most voluble member.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
Medical director Ian Harvey "sought to control the narrative", and presented the case as he saw it.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
But Ian McCredie, MI6’s undercover agent in the embassy, quickly concluded that the Russian was a genuine defector with access to invaluable intelligence about KGB operations in Iran.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
The RPC review, which did not name Prof Ian Brown but referred to "Dr Y", found out of the 20 cases reviewed, 15 were "unsatisfactory overall".
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Back in Port Tallon, the librarian had told him that Ian Rider had been asking for books about computer viruses...
From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz
The adjectivally ennobled: the ones whose names sprout "-esque" and "-ian".
From The Guardian ● Jan. 15, 2013
Distinction is to be made, therefore, only between Classes II and I. Class II contains the verbs with infinitive in -ian not preceded by r.
From Anglo-Saxon Grammar and Exercise Book with Inflections, Syntax, Selections for Reading, and Glossary by C. Alphonso (Charles Alphonso) Smith
Note.—These verbs have no trace of original umlaut, since their -ian was once -ōjan.
From Anglo-Saxon Grammar and Exercise Book with Inflections, Syntax, Selections for Reading, and Glossary by C. Alphonso (Charles Alphonso) Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.