Celtic

American  

[kel-tik, sel-] / ˈkɛl tɪk, ˈsɛl- /

Also Keltic

noun

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  

/ ˈsɛl-, ˈsɛl-, ˈkɛltɪk, ˈkɛltɪˌsɪzəm /

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

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

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

Scotland, Liverpool and Celtic great Sir Kenny Dalglish is undergoing treatment for cancer.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

Dalglish scored 167 goals in 320 appearances for Celtic between 1969 and 1977 before going on to make 515 appearances for Liverpool.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

What follows is a soaring, visionary narrative that connects the known world to the misty realms of Celtic legend.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

Shankland led Hearts to second place this season, with the Tynecastle side missing out on the title to Celtic on the final day.

From BBC • May 24, 2026

She did recognize him from previous trips, but she only knew he liked Celtic because of an app on his phone.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti