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.

   • 2010 September 23, Tina Fey, “The Fabian Strategy” (5:03 from the start), in 30 Rock‎^[1], season 5, episode 1, spoken by Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin):

     “This is how I know you've never had an adult relationship. If I say no, then I will be required to say yes to something else in the future, and the stakes in the future might be higher.” “Then say yes.” “If I give in, then I'm no longer the alpha in my house. Before you know it, she'll have me wearing jeans and reading fiction!” “Yeah, well, yes and no are kind of your only two choices.” “For most men, sure. But there is a third option. The Fabian strategy.” “I know this. If an apple and a feather fall at the same time--” “The Fabian strategy derives its name from the Roman general Quintus Fabius Maximus. He ran away, Lemon. Rather than engage in battle, he would retreat and retreat until the enemy grew fatigued and eventually made a mistake. Although I abhor it as a military strategy, it is the basis for all of my, uh, personal relationships.” “So Avery is your enemy. That sounds healthy.” “You're in no position to judge.”

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 (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Fabian m

1. a male given name

Fabian m

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

• Guilhemjoan, Patric (2005), Diccionari elementari occitan-francés francés-occitan (gascon), Per Noste, →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