Irish
Americanadjective
noun
-
the inhabitants of Ireland and their descendants elsewhere.
-
the aboriginal Celtic-speaking people of Ireland.
-
Also called Irish Gaelic. the Celtic language of Ireland in its historical or modern form. Ir, Ir.
idioms
adjective
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of Ireland, its people, their Celtic language, or their dialect of English
-
informal ludicrous or illogical
noun
-
(functioning as plural) the natives or inhabitants of Ireland
-
another name for Irish Gaelic
Sensitive Note
See Irish pennant.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Irish
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English Yrisse, Iris(c)h; compare Old English Īras people of Ireland (cognate with Old Norse Īrar ); see -ish 1
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.
The Gallagher brothers' affection for Celtic is well documented, stemming from their family's Irish roots.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
The Irish government introduced an emergency VAT cut from 13.5% to 9% in 2011 to help tourism after the financial crash.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
From a childhood letter to a Twitter direct message, these are five sliding doors moments in the making of an Irish icon.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Harris, who also had Irish citizenship, had set off on the trek around 05:40 local time on Saturday with a hiking companion.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Within the sanctuary of the saloons, white men of all ethnicities—including Irish, Poles, and Lithuanians—talked shop and made deals.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
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.
