Irish
Americanadjective
noun
-
the inhabitants of Ireland and their descendants elsewhere.
-
the aboriginal Celtic-speaking people of Ireland.
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Also called Irish Gaelic. the Celtic language of Ireland in its historical or modern form. Ir, Ir.
idioms
adjective
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of Ireland, its people, their Celtic language, or their dialect of English
-
informal ludicrous or illogical
noun
-
(functioning as plural) the natives or inhabitants of Ireland
-
another name for Irish Gaelic
Sensitive Note
See Irish pennant.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Irish
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English Yrisse, Iris(c)h; compare Old English Īras people of Ireland (cognate with Old Norse Īrar ); see -ish 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Excluding the ups and downs of U.S. businesses, Irish growth has been more steady.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026
Carmel Gates from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions praised healthcare workers, fire fighters, bus drivers and teachers, who stepped up to help those who were attacked and intimidated this week.
From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026
“Why isn’t a foreigner, an Emirati, Canadian and Irish citizen, the face of this project if it’s for national security?” she said.
From Salon • Jun. 12, 2026
Aaron Flores, who runs a group for fans of Tigres, a Mexican club, loves the Playwright, an Irish bar in Midtown.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
In the early 1600s, the British seized a half-million acres from Irish farmers, drove them from their lands, and opened those lands to settlers who would be under English protection.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
