Fabian

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

• enPR: fā′bē-ən
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfeɪ.biː.ən/
• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈfeɪ.bi.ən/
• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈfæɪ.biː.ən/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˈfe.bi.ən/
• (India) IPA^(key): /ˈfeː.biː.an/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪbiən
• Hyphenation: Fa‧bi‧an

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.

• fabian

Fabian (plural Fabians)

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

   Synonyms: gradualist, reformist, social democrat

• Fabianism

Fabian

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

• San Fabian

Borrowed from Spanish Fabián.

• IPA^(key): /paˈbijan/ [pɐˈbi.jɐn̪]
• Hyphenation: Fa‧bi‧an

Fabian (Badlit spelling ᜉᜊᜒᜌᜈ᜔)

1. a male given name from Spanish, equivalent to English Fabian

Fabian m

1. a male given name

Patronymics

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

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

• IPA^(key): /ˈfaː.bi.an/

• Audio:

  (file)

Fabian m

1. a male given name

Fabian m

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

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

Learned borrowing from Latin Fabiānus.

• IPA^(key): /ˈfa.bjan/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -abjan
• Syllabification: Fa‧bian

Fabian m pers

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Fabian

• Fabian in Polish dictionaries at PWN

• IPA^(key): [ˈfabi̯an]

Fabian m pers (female equivalent Fabianová)

1. a male surname

• “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, 2003–2025

• Audio:

  (file)

Fabian c (genitive Fabians)

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

   Synonym: fabian

Most common in "fy Fabian."

Borrowed from Spanish Fabián.

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /fabˈjan/ [fɐbˈjan̪]
  • IPA^(key): (with nativization) /pabˈjan/ [pɐbˈjan̪]
• Rhymes: -an
• Syllabification: Fab‧ian

Fabián (Baybayin spelling ᜉᜊ᜔ᜌᜈ᜔)

1. a male given name from Spanish, equivalent to English Fabian
2. a surname from Spanish