Spanish

[ span-ish ]

adjective

1. of or relating to Spain, its people, or their language.

noun

1. the Spanish people collectively.
2. a Romance language, the language of Spain, standard also in most of Latin America except Brazil. : Sp, Sp.

Spanish

/ ˈspænɪʃ /

noun

1. the official language of Spain, Mexico, and most countries of South and Central America except Brazil: also spoken in Africa, the Far East, and elsewhere. It is the native language of approximately 200 million people throughout the world. Spanish is an Indo-European language belonging to the Romance group
2. the Spanish
   the Spanish functioning as plural Spaniards collectively

adjective

1. of or relating to the Spanish language or its speakers
2. of or relating to Spain or Spaniards

Other Words From

• anti-Spanish adjective
• half-Spanish adjective
• non-Spanish adjective noun
• pre-Spanish adjective
• pro-Spanish adjective
• pseudo-Spanish adjective
• quasi-Spanish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Spanish¹

Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; Spain, -ish ¹

Example Sentences

According to some rumors, Goya was once on staff before his fame as a Spanish painter.

From The Daily Beast

This concern ceased after the Spanish warned of severe punitive measures on the family members of suicides.

From The Daily Beast

Hatuey replied that he would rather burn and be sent to hell than ever again encounter people as cruel as the Spanish.

From The Daily Beast

“They also were responsible for the Barcelona subway plot,” a plan disrupted by Spanish law enforcement in 2008.

From The Daily Beast

Any conversation about Spanish-speaking politicians leads back to Bush.

From The Daily Beast

The seed of discontent was again germinating under the duplicity of the Spanish lay and clerical authorities.

From Project Gutenberg

Like every other Spanish general in supreme command abroad, Polavieja had his enemies in Spain.

From Project Gutenberg

He has secured the release of certain Spanish prisoners, and is building two ships.

From Project Gutenberg

The cathedral is the only Spanish parochial church; it cares for two thousand four hundred souls.

From Project Gutenberg

The total fresh troops amounted to about 500 men of the 73rd Native Regiment and Spanish cazadores.

From Project Gutenberg