Gaelic

American

[gey-lik, gol-ik] / ˈgeɪ lɪk, ˈgɒl ɪk /

noun

a Celtic language that includes the speech of ancient Ireland and the dialects that have developed from it, especially those usually known as Irish, Manx, and Scottish Gaelic: Gaelic constitutes the Goidelic subbranch of Celtic.

adjective

of or in Gaelic.
of or relating to the Gaels or their language.

Gaelic British

/ ˈɡæl-, ˈɡeɪlɪk /

noun

any of the closely related languages of the Celts in Ireland, Scotland, or (formerly) the Isle of Man Compare Goidelic

"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, denoting, or relating to the Celtic people of Ireland, Scotland, or the Isle of Man or their language or customs

"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

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Gaelics

plural

Etymology

Origin of Gaelic

First recorded in 1590–1600; Gael + -ic (representing Scots Gaelic Gaidhlig, derivative of Gaidheal Gael )

Compare meaning

How does gaelic 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.

See Examples For:

Gaelic Gaelics

Swinney then spoke in Gaelic and said: "Our people need us to work together, to improve their lives to bring them hope. That is what we must now do," he said.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

Scotland's deputy first minister at the time, Kate Forbes - a Gaelic speaker - called it a "historic milestone".

From BBC ● May 29, 2026

He has listed his high school in Hawaii as beneficiary on two of his brokerage accounts, so he’s certainly got a “grá” — that’s Gaelic for deep affection — for charitable endeavors.

From MarketWatch ● May 20, 2026

The statements were made in a variety of languages, including Scots, Gaelic, Hindi, Polish, Mandarin and French.

From BBC ● May 14, 2026

His knights were to fight, not against gallowglasses, but against the knights of the Gaelic Confederation.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

"My mother Gaelics like the Scotch," he said.

From The Cursed Patois From "Mackinac And Lake Stories", 1899 by Mary Hartwell Catherwood

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