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Spanish

American  
[span-ish] / ˈspæn ɪʃ /

adjective

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


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

"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

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

  2. of or relating to Spain or Spaniards

"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

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

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:

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:

The acquisition of 80% of the share capital of Caruna Group strengthens the Spanish utility’s position in Finland, which it called “a market with high credit quality and a stable and attractive regulatory framework.”

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 21, 2026

They had wanted a historic home with an old-world Spanish feel to match two Renaissance chairs they bought in Granada, Spain, but that dream became something much bigger.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 21, 2026

"Rodri was absolutely outstanding," said Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague.

From BBC Jul. 20, 2026

Spain's players were to parade through central Madrid before ending the celebrations at Cibeles square, outside City Hall, where Spanish national teams and Real Madrid traditionally celebrate major titles.

From Barron's Jul. 20, 2026

I try to remember every Spanish song I know, and I sing them to her.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

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