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 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
Reading Festival winds down on Sunday night with a star-studded cast including indie icon Florence and the Machine, R&B hit-maker Loyle Carner, and Irish rap group Kneecap.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
Rapper Dave, singer-songwriter Raye, Irish rock band Fontaines DC, electronic duo Chase & Status and band Florence + The Machine are also topping the bill.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
During his time as mayor of Manchester, Burnham worked closely with the Irish diaspora and attended many cultural events.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
“You’re so kind,” the woman told him in an Irish accent.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
