Spanish
Americanadjective
noun
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the Spanish people collectively.
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a Romance language, the language of Spain, standard also in most of Latin America except Brazil. Sp, Sp.
noun
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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
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(functioning as plural) Spaniards collectively
adjective
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of or relating to the Spanish language or its speakers
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of or relating to Spain or Spaniards
Usage
Plural word for Spanish The plural form of Spanish can be Spanishes. This is used to refer to different varieties of the Spanish language, as in The Spanishes of Spain and Mexico are quite different. Phrases like varieties of Spanish and Spanish dialects are probably more commonly used to refer to multiple versions of the language, but the plural Spanishes is perfectly acceptable.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of Spanish
Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; see origin at Spain, -ish 1
Compare meaning
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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 poll of 8,578 registered California voters was conducted between May 19 and 25 online in English and Spanish and has a margin of error of about 2 percentage points in either direction.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
The investigation, known as Operation Esbroya 24, saw Spanish authorities and UK law enforcement work together for more than a year.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
The pair welcomed the pontiff to the royal palace on Saturday, as he began his trip by praising the Spanish government's opposition to global conflicts and its support for migrants.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
Catholicism has played a central role in Spanish life for centuries, but traditional religious observance has declined for decades in line with a trend across Europe.
From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026
Picasso was a great collector, and he loved to collect Spanish art.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
