Spanish

American  

[span-ish] / ˈspæn ɪʃ /

adjective

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

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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 British  

/ 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. (functioning as plural) Spaniards collectively

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Spanish language or its speakers

2. 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

• anti-Spanish
  adjective
• half-Spanish
  adjective
• non-Spanish
  adjective
• pre-Spanish
  adjective
• pro-Spanish
  adjective
• pseudo-Spanish
  adjective
• quasi-Spanish
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Spanish

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

Compare meaning

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

• Spaniard vs. Spanish

Example Sentences

Kaziha would stock the mosque’s store with books, always anticipating the community’s needs, finding introductory prayer books and Spanish translations for the mosque’s growing Latino population.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

In 2022, perennial Spanish champions Barcelona signed Lopez on her 16th birthday, and two months later she became the youngest debutant in the club's professional history.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

In England, most people learn one or more of French, Spanish or German at school.

From Science Daily • May 22, 2026

In March, Estee Lauder said it was in talks to acquire Spanish beauty group Puig, which sells perfume, fashion, makeup and skin-care products from brands including Carolina Herrera, Charlotte Tilbury, Byredo and Dr. Barbara Sturm.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

I ducked inside the Spanish lab to study her through the window in the door.

From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen