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 legendary Irish rock band will headline the halftime show for the NFL’s first Thanksgiving eve game as the Rams host the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 25.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Who looks at those Saturday losses and performs last rites upon the Bulldogs and Irish?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
The house has been named Fomorian - meaning a supernatural race of giants in Irish mythology - taking inspiration from the mythical giant Rombald who is told to have lived on Ilkley Moor.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
A "heroic" Irish priest who was killed in World War One while trying to help injured and dying soldiers will take a step towards potential sainthood on Sunday.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
Music wafted through the dusk—the trill and wail of a klezmer’s violin rivaled by a woman fiddling a lively Irish jig.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
