Celtic

American

[kel-tik, sel-] / ˈkɛl tɪk, ˈsɛl- /

Also Keltic

noun

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.

adjective

of the Celts or their languages.

Celtic British

/ ˈsɛl-, ˈsɛl-, ˈkɛltɪk, ˈkɛltɪˌsɪzəm /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of Celtic

First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin Celticus, equivalent to Celt(ae) “the Celts” + -icus adjective suffix; see origin at 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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill believes Hearts are in a strong position to become regular title contenders in the Scottish Premiership.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

O'Neill gave "great credit" to Hearts for "going strongly at it and being able to stay there" and said Sunday's clash between Celtic and Rangers can no longer be viewed as a title showdown.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

Needle drops of Celtic folksongs and poems set to music give the impression that every Irish dirge yearns to get as morbid as “Nearer, My God, to Thee.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

Most existing Celtic objects—found in bogs and burial mounds—are durable works in stone, bone, glass, metal and terracotta with rare survivals in wood, leather and cloth.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

I reach up and touch the small pewter claddagh Celtic cross I have worn since I was six, tracking the grooved outline of the heart with my finger.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023