Flemish

American  

[flem-ish] / ˈflɛm ɪʃ /

adjective

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

2. pertaining to or designating the style of art, especially painting, as developed principally in Flanders and northern France during the 15th century, chiefly characterized by sharply delineated forms, naturalistic proportions, clear, usually cool colors, and the use of perspective.

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noun

1. the people of Flanders collectively; the Flemings.

2. the Dutch language as spoken in northern Belgium: one of the official languages of Belgium. Flem., Flem

Flemish British  

/ ˈflɛmɪʃ /

noun

1. one of the two official languages of Belgium, almost identical in form with Dutch

2. (functioning as plural) the Flemings collectively

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Flanders, the Flemings, or their language

Other Word Forms

• non-Flemish adjective

Etymology

Origin of Flemish

1275–1325; Middle English < Middle Dutch Vlaemsch, equivalent to Vlaem- ( see Fleming) + -sch -ish ¹

Example Sentences

The Mercator was first introduced in 1569 by a Flemish geographer, and by the 1700s, it had become the default map.

From Slate • Jan. 21, 2026

A long-lost painting by 17th-century Flemish master Peter Paul Rubens sold at auction in France on Sunday for almost three million euros -- well beyond its asking price.

From Barron's • Nov. 30, 2025

Enthusiasts of the Dutch and Flemish Golden Age will be delighted to learn of the more quotidian arts that rounded out this visually rich epoch: hand-wrought lace, calligraphy, botanical illustrations and more.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

An Exeter University art historian has solved the 70-year mystery over the theft of an original oil sketch, by Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck, from a stately home in Northamptonshire.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2025

She was speaking Flemish to him, soothing him, surely telling him that everything was going to be all right.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan