क्लासिकीय संस्कृति में 'आर्य' शब्द का अर्थ है-

क्लासिकीय संस्कृति में 'आर्य' शब्द का अर्थ है-एक उत्तम व्यक्ति। आर्य शब्द भाषा सूचक है, जिसका अर्थ है- श्रेष्ठ या कुलीन।

'Aryan' is a term meaning 'noble' which was used as a self- designation by Indo-Iranian people. In classic Sanskrit, the word Arya means- 'A nobleman'. The word was used by the people of the Vedic period in India as an ethnic label for themselves as well as to refer noble class. Scholars point out that even in ancient times, the idea of being an 'Aryan' was religious, cultural and linguistic, not racial.