Spanish
Americanadjective
noun
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the Spanish people collectively.
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a Romance language, the language of Spain, standard also in most of Latin America except Brazil. Sp, Sp.
noun
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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
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(functioning as plural) Spaniards collectively
adjective
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of or relating to the Spanish language or its speakers
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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
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.
It's a new venue for F1 next weekend with the first Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring in Madrid, from 11-13 September.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
Use hot Italian sausage, Mexican or Spanish chorizo, longganisa, or no sausage at all.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
Prosecutors shelved the original complaint, saying Spanish courts had no jurisdiction over events that allegedly happened in the Caribbean countries, which were "fully competent" to investigate.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
“I can’t keep throwing and throwing more money, because I don’t have the money, and I haven’t been able to help him,” the woman said in Spanish, weeping.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
“What do you mean? It’s like in Spanish, how all words are feminine or masculine.”
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
