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Ireland

American  
[ahyuhr-luhnd] / ˈaɪər lənd /

noun

  1. John, 1838–1918, U.S. Roman Catholic clergyman and social reformer, born in Ireland: archbishop of St. Paul, Minnesota, 1888–1918.

  2. Latin Hibernia.  Also called Emerald Isle.  a large western island of the British Isles, comprising Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. 32,375 sq. mi. (83,850 sq. km).

  3. Irish Eire.   Eire.  Formerly Irish Free State.  Republic of Ireland. a republic occupying most of the island of Ireland. 27,137 sq. mi. (70,285 sq. km). Dublin.

  4. Heraldry. a coat of arms blazoned as follows: Azure, a harp or stringed argent.


Ireland 1 British  
/ ˈaɪələnd /

noun

  1. Latin name: Hibernia.  an island off NW Europe: part of the British Isles, separated from Britain by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel; contains large areas of peat bog, with mountains that rise over 900 m (3000 ft) in the southwest and several large lakes. It was conquered by England in the 16th and early 17th centuries and ruled as a dependency until 1801, when it was united with Great Britain until its division in 1921 into the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland

  2. a republic in NW Europe occupying most of Ireland: established as the Irish Free State (a British dominion) in 1921 and declared a republic in 1949; joined the European Community (now the European Union) in 1973. Official languages: Irish (Gaelic) and English. Currency: euro. Capital: Dublin. Pop: 4 775 982 (2013 est). Area: 70 285 sq km (27 137 sq miles)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Ireland 2 British  
/ ˈaɪələnd /

noun

  1. John ( Nicholson ). 1879–1962, English composer, esp of songs

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Ireland Cultural  
  1. Island in the Atlantic Ocean separated from Great Britain by the Irish Sea. It is divided into Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.


Discover More

It is called the “Emerald Isle” because of its lush green countryside.

Other Word Forms

  • Irelander noun

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

DeLorean’s upstart company filed for bankruptcy in 1982, having exhausted investor funds, including significant sums from the British government, since the company chose economically struggling Belfast in Northern Ireland for its factory.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Cloud, rain and much stronger winds will return to western Scotland and Northern Ireland and herald a change to a more changeable weather pattern.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Scotland and Northern Ireland will not be as warm.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Handler says she jumped at the chance to return to L.A. even though she would be beginning her first season of her first music director job at the Ulster Orchestra in Ireland.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Before moving to Ireland, Zlata and Mirna went to school with Melika in Paris.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers