Fabian

See also: fabian, Fabián, and Fábián

English

Etymology

From Latin Fabiānus (“belonging to Fabius”), derived from Fabius + -ānus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfeɪbi.ən/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Adjective

Fabian (comparative more Fabian, superlative most Fabian)

1. (military) Pertaining to or reminiscent of Roman general Fabius Maximus, whose tactics against Hannibal during the Second Punic War famously consisted of delaying or avoiding combat, focusing instead on weakening the enemy by cutting off supply lines.
   • 1988, James McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom, Oxford, published 2004, page 745:

     Hood complained behind his commander's back to Richmond of Johnston's Fabian strategy.

2. (politics) Advocating that social reforms be reached through a series of gradual and moderate stages rather than sudden revolution; specifically, relating to the Fabian Society, a British socialist society advocating reformist socialism.
3. (by extension) cautious; dilatory; avoiding a decisive contest.

Alternative forms

• fabian

Translations

all senses

• German: fabisch (de)
• Italian: fabiano

Noun

Fabian (plural Fabians)

1. (politics) A Fabian socialist, a gradualist socialist; a member of the Fabian Society.

   Synonyms: gradualist, reformist, social democrat

Related terms

• Fabianism

Proper noun

Fabian

1. (rare) A male given name from Latin.
2. A surname.

Translations

male given name

• Aragonese: Fabián m
• Catalan: Fabià
• Faroese: Fabian m
• French: Fabien (fr)
• Galician: Fabián (gl), Fabiano (gl), Fabio (gl)
• German: Fabian (de) m
• Hungarian: Fábián (hu)
• Italian: Fabiano (it)
• Polish: Fabian (pl) m pers
• Portuguese: Fabiano (pt)
• Spanish: Fabián (es)
• Swedish: Fabian (sv)

Faroese

Proper noun

Fabian m

1. a male given name

Usage notes

• son of Fabian: Fabiansson
• daughter of Fabian: Fabiansdóttir

Declension

	singular
	indefinite
nominative	Fabian
accusative	Fabian
dative	Fabiani
genitive	Fabians

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin Fabiānus (“belonging to Fabius”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfaːbian/

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Fabian m

1. a male given name

Occitan

Proper noun

Fabian m

1. (Gascony) a male given name, equivalent to English Fabian

References

• Patric Guilhemjoan, Diccionari elementari occitan-francés francés-occitan (gascon), 2005, Orthez, per noste, 2005, →ISBN, page 148.

Polish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin Fabianus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfa.bjan/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -abjan
• Syllabification: Fa‧bian

Proper noun

Fabian m pers

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Fabian

Declension

Declension of Fabian

	singular	plural
nominative	Fabian	Fabianowie
genitive	Fabiana	Fabianów
dative	Fabianowi	Fabianom
accusative	Fabiana	Fabianów
instrumental	Fabianem	Fabianami
locative	Fabianie	Fabianach
vocative	Fabianie	Fabianowie

Further reading

• Fabian in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Slovak

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈfabi̯an]

Proper noun

Fabian m pers (female equivalent Fabianová)

1. a male surname

Declension

Declension of Fabian (pattern chlap)

	singular	plural 1	plural 2
nominative	Fabian	Fabianovia	Fabianovci
genitive	Fabiana	Fabianov	Fabianovcov
dative	Fabianovi	Fabianom	Fabianovcom
accusative	Fabiana	Fabianov	Fabianovcov
locative	Fabianovi	Fabianoch	Fabianovcoch
instrumental	Fabianom	Fabianmi	Fabianovcami

Further reading

• “Fabian”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2024

Swedish

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Fabian c (genitive Fabians)

1. a male given name
2. (minced oath, colloquial) Euphemistic form of fan.

   Synonym: fabian

Usage notes

Most common in "fy Fabian."