Celtic

American  

[kel-tik, sel-] / ˈkɛl tɪk, ˈsɛl- /

Also Keltic

noun

1. a branch of the Indo-European family of languages, including especially Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, and Breton, which survive now in Ireland, the Scottish Highlands, Wales, and Brittany. Celt, Celt.

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adjective

1. of the Celts or their languages.

Celtic British  

/ ˈsɛl-, ˈsɛl-, ˈkɛltɪk, ˈkɛltɪˌsɪzəm /

noun

1. a branch of the Indo-European family of languages that includes Gaelic, Welsh, and Breton, still spoken in parts of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Brittany. Modern Celtic is divided into the Brythonic (southern) and Goidelic (northern) groups

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Celts or the Celtic languages

Other Word Forms

• Celtically adverb
• Celticism noun
• Celticist noun
• non-Celtic adjective
• pre-Celtic adjective

Etymology

Origin of Celtic

First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin Celticus, equivalent to Celt(ae) “the Celts” + -icus adjective suffix; Celt, -ic ( def. 1 )

Compare meaning

How does celtic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Gaelic vs. Celtic

Example Sentences

Heart of Midlothian and Celtic face a potential, final-day title decider in Glasgow on Saturday, 16 May after the Scottish Professional Football League announced the Premiership's post-split fixtures.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

One man who knows exactly what it takes to win with Celtic is former captain Scott Brown and he - perhaps unsurprisingly - is backing his former side to reel in both Rangers and Hearts.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

O'Neill spoke before the game about Celtic keeping themselves in the mix with both Hearts, who were held 2-2 at Livingston, and Rangers, who beat Dundee United 4-2 on Saturday.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

"I was stuck and trapped, but I was like, 'Who would I want to be right now?'" she explains of the character she summoned from her Celtic heritage.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

She did recognize him from previous trips, but she only knew he liked Celtic because of an app on his phone.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti