Gaelic

American  

[gey-lik, gol-ik] / ˈgeɪ lɪk, ˈgɒl ɪk /

noun

• Gaelics
  plural

1. a Celtic language that includes the speech of ancient Ireland and the dialects that have developed from it, especially those usually known as Irish, Manx, and Scottish Gaelic: Gaelic constitutes the Goidelic subbranch of Celtic.

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adjective

1. of or in Gaelic.

2. of or relating to the Gaels or their language.

Gaelic British  

/ ˈɡeɪlɪk, ˈɡæl- /

noun

1. any of the closely related languages of the Celts in Ireland, Scotland, or (formerly) the Isle of Man Compare Goidelic

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adjective

1. of, denoting, or relating to the Celtic people of Ireland, Scotland, or the Isle of Man or their language or customs

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anti-Gaelic
  adjective
• non-Gaelic
  adjective
• pro-Gaelic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Gaelics
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Gaelic

First recorded in 1590–1600; Gael + -ic (representing Scots Gaelic Gaidhlig, derivative of Gaidheal Gael )

Compare meaning

How does gaelic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Gaelic vs. Celtic

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Gaelic Gaelics

Scientists searched for the inclusion of the Gaelic words for oyster or oysters – eisir, eisirein and eisirean – and oyster habitats like sandy banks or tidal causeways in place names around Scotland's coast.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

One of its more compelling chapters deals with James Macpherson, an 18th-century Scotsman who published an epic, “Fingal,” claiming to have translated the previously unknown work of a Gaelic bard named Ossian.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

There are 18,552 people in the Highland Council area with Gaelic skills, according to the latest census data.

From BBC ● May 29, 2026

Scotland's deputy first minister at the time, Kate Forbes - a Gaelic speaker - called it a "historic milestone".

From BBC ● May 29, 2026

Even in the miasma of her Gaelic mind, she had come to see that asses do not mate with pythons.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

"My mother Gaelics like the Scotch," he said.

From The Cursed Patois From "Mackinac And Lake Stories", 1899 by Mary Hartwell Catherwood