Irish
Americanadjective
noun
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the inhabitants of Ireland and their descendants elsewhere.
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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
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of, relating to, or characteristic of Ireland, its people, their Celtic language, or their dialect of English
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informal ludicrous or illogical
noun
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(functioning as plural) the natives or inhabitants of Ireland
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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.
The Irish economy expanded by 12.3% in 2025 as it benefited from a surge in demand for polypeptide hormones, a key component of weight-loss drugs, particularly from the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026
Carney has said he is proud of his family heritage and described his Irish ancestry as a "big part of who I am".
From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026
At the press conference, Martin said the visit would be an opportunity for Carney "to celebrate and explore his Irish heritage".
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
Although the Earl of Cork was almost a model landlord, most of his English counterparts treated the Irish so harshly that some sort of rebellion was inevitable, and it happened to break out in 1641.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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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.