Etymology From Late Latin Arianus, from Arius + -ānus (“-an: forming adjectives”), from Ancient Greek Ἄρειος (Áreios), from ἄρειος (áreios, “Arean, warlike”), from Ἄρης (Árēs, “Ares”) + -ιος (-ios, “-y: forming adjectives”). Cf. Arean.
1
ChristianityHistorical A supporter of the Cyrenaic monk Arius and his faction in the 4th-century Church.
The Arians celebrated the virtue of their pious confessor; the Catholics ambitiously claimed his alliance; and the Pagans, who might be susceptible of shame or remorse, were deterred from the repetition of such unavailing cruelty.1781, Edward Gibbon, chapter XXIII, in The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume II, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC:
2
Christianity A believer of Arianism, particularly (historical) the official Arian churches lasting to the 7th century.
3
ChristianityDerogatory, Usually Synonym of unitarian, any Christian who denies the Trinity.
4
ChristianityDated, Derogatory Synonym of heretic, any Christian differing from any of the beliefs of the speaker.
Arian
adj
Etymology From Late Latin Arianus, from Arius + -ānus (“-an: forming adjectives”), from Ancient Greek Ἄρειος (Áreios), from ἄρειος (áreios, “Arean, warlike”), from Ἄρης (Árēs, “Ares”) + -ιος (-ios, “-y: forming adjectives”). Cf. Arean.
1
Christianity Of or pertaining to Arius or Arianism.
The highways of the East were crowded with Homoousian, and Arian, and Semi-Arian, and Eunomian bishops, who struggled to outstrip each other in the holy race: […].1781, Edward Gibbon, chapter XXV, in The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume II, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC:
He flirts with the Arian heresy, which doubted Jesus’s full divinity, and he embraces Quaker-style religious pacifism, arguing that just-war theory is out of date in an age of nuclear arms and total war.2015 April 19, Ross Douthat, “Will Pope Francis Break the Church?”, in The Atlantic, →ISSN:
Arian
noun
Etymology From Aries + -ian, from Latin aries (“ram”).
1
Astrology, Human sciences, Mysticism, Philosophy, Sciences Synonym of Aries, a person born under the influence of Aries.
Arian
adj
Etymology From Aries + -ian, from Latin aries (“ram”).
1
Astrology, Human sciences, Mysticism, Philosophy, Sciences Of or related to Aries, its nature, and its influence.
The Arian nature is to create the idea...1917, Herbert T. Waite, Compendium of Natal Astrology and Universal Ephemeris, page 39: