Amish

American  

[ah-mish, am-ish] / ˈɑ mɪʃ, ˈæm ɪʃ /

adjective

1. of or relating to any of the strict Mennonite groups, chiefly in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Canada, descended from the followers of Jakob Ammann, a Swiss Mennonite bishop of the 17th century.

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noun

1. the Amish people.

Amish British  

/ ˈɑːmɪʃ, ˈæ- /

adjective

1. of or relating to a US and Canadian Mennonite sect that traces its origin to Jakob Amman

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noun

1. the Amish people

Amish Cultural  

1. A group of Protestants who broke away from the Mennonites in the seventeenth century. The Amish live in close communities, farm for a living, and do without many modern conveniences, such as telephones, automobiles, and tractor-drawn plows.

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Discover More

Some of the Pennsylvania Dutch are Amish.

Etymology

Origin of Amish

1835–45, < German amisch, after Jakob Ammann; see -ish ¹

Compare meaning

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

• Amish vs. Mennonite

Example Sentences

In Lancaster County: In “Witness,” a police detective played by Harrison Ford is forced to hide in an Amish community to protect a boy who witnesses a murder.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

Three Amish schools refused to comply with the law, prompting New York to impose fines totaling $118,000.

From Slate • Dec. 9, 2025

There are relatively few studies on autism rates within the Amish community.

From BBC • Sep. 23, 2025

Many children are diagnosed in school - but most Amish drop out of school after eight grade, around 14-years-old.

From BBC • Sep. 23, 2025

Then, after they saw the Amish they were going to circle west and join the highway to Dean Town, passing through Baylor on the way.

From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien