Celtic

American  

[kel-tik, sel-] / ˈkɛl tɪk, ˈsɛl- /

Also Keltic

noun

• Celtics
  plural

1. a branch of the Indo-European family of languages, including especially Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, and Breton, which survive now in Ireland, the Scottish Highlands, Wales, and Brittany. Celt, Celt.

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adjective

1. of the Celts or their languages.

Celtic British  

/ ˈkɛltɪk, ˈsɛl-, ˈsɛl- /

noun

1. a branch of the Indo-European family of languages that includes Gaelic, Welsh, and Breton, still spoken in parts of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Brittany. Modern Celtic is divided into the Brythonic (southern) and Goidelic (northern) groups

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Celts or the Celtic languages

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Celticism
  noun
• Celticist
  noun
• non-Celtic
  adjective
• pre-Celtic
  adjective
• Celtically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Celtics
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Celtic

First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin Celticus, equivalent to Celt(ae) “the Celts” + -icus adjective suffix; see origin at Celt, -ic ( def. 1 )

Compare meaning

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

• Gaelic vs. Celtic

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Celtic Celtics

Celtic defender Tierney and Norwich midfielder McLean have 119 international caps between them, while experienced trio Scott McTominay, Che Adams and Lawrence Shankland were unavailable before Pocognoli made his picks.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

Celtic, by contrast, look lost in a haze of confusion and uncertainty.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

That's true, of course, but it was also the first time a Rangers manager has won his first two games against Celtic since Graeme Souness in 1986.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

So says former captain Scott Brown, who knows Celtic players.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

She’d chosen an ancient Celtic design she’d seen in a book from the library.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

His previous NBA experience includes stints with the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

In 2025, the Boston Celtics — like the Lakers, an illustrious legacy franchise — were sold for $6.1 billion, which closely matched Forbes market estimates.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

That deal valued the Lakers at $10 billion only months after the Boston Celtics were sold at a then-record price of $6.1 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

The LA Lakers have 17 NBA titles - one less than the record of 18 held by the Boston Celtics.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

Sean and I have a lot in common—we love graphic novels, Stephen King, the Celtics; we both have jet-black hair; neither of us has a dad—but we differ in some ways too.

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan