First recorded in 1625–35; Latin Hiberni(a) “Ireland” + -an
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Meanwhile, Heart of Midlothian kick off their Champions League qualifying campaign against Austrian side Sturm Graz next week and Hibernian face a Europa Conference League qualifier on 30 July.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
They are known as Hibs fans—and they support Hibernian, the Scottish capital’s other major team.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
In 2024, Tavernier scored against Hibernian to become British football's highest scoring defender with 131 goals.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
In the aftermath of Sunday's goalless draw at Hibernian, Rangers' lack of creativity from open play came into focus again.
From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2026
In fact, so well content are we now with our City, that we feel, as the Hibernian poet so beautifully says: "O, if there be an Elysium on earth, It is this—it is this."
From Doesticks, What He Says by Doesticks, Q. K. Philander
Not because we used to be called dundee hibernian but because it will be another club to have won the Scottish Cup after Dundee in 1910.
From BBC ● May 19, 2012
An hibernian musician, who, like myself, was present for the first time at this concert of antimusic, exclaimed, "By Jasus but they stop out of tune to a nicety!"
From Travels in the United States of America Commencing in the Year 1793, and Ending in 1797. With the Author's Journals of his Two Voyages Across the Atlantic. by Priest, William
But the old, simpler order of things had suffered more wrenches than one in this acrid congressional campaign, and the warring factions could unite only on the hibernian proposition that union was impossible.
From The Henchman by Luther, Mark Lee
There are lately hibernian, and german societies, who do all in their power, to mitigate the severity of these laws, and render their countrymen, during their servitude, as comfortable as possible.
From Travels in the United States of America Commencing in the Year 1793, and Ending in 1797. With the Author's Journals of his Two Voyages Across the Atlantic. by Priest, William
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.
