Spanish

American  

[span-ish] / ˈspæn ɪʃ /

adjective

1. of or relating to Spain, its people, or their language.

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noun

1. the Spanish people collectively.

2. a Romance language, the language of Spain, standard also in most of Latin America except Brazil. Sp, Sp.

Spanish British  

/ ˈspænɪʃ /

noun

1. the official language of Spain, Mexico, and most countries of South and Central America except Brazil: also spoken in Africa, the Far East, and elsewhere. It is the native language of approximately 200 million people throughout the world. Spanish is an Indo-European language belonging to the Romance group

2. (functioning as plural) Spaniards collectively

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Spanish language or its speakers

2. of or relating to Spain or Spaniards

Usage

Plural word for Spanish The plural form of Spanish can be Spanishes. This is used to refer to different varieties of the Spanish language, as in The Spanishes of Spain and Mexico are quite different. Phrases like varieties of Spanish and Spanish dialects are probably more commonly used to refer to multiple versions of the language, but the plural Spanishes is perfectly acceptable.

Other Word Forms

• anti-Spanish adjective
• half-Spanish adjective
• non-Spanish adjective
• pre-Spanish adjective
• pro-Spanish adjective
• pseudo-Spanish adjective
• quasi-Spanish adjective

Etymology

Origin of Spanish

Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; Spain, -ish ¹

Compare meaning

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

• Spaniard vs. Spanish

Example Sentences

Organizers say they have held workshops for a range of clients including upmarket fashion brands, hotel staff, a Spanish hearing-aid provider and a Swiss watchmaker.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

The Argentines already at the club helped too - De Paul, Griezmann's warmth, the Spanish language, a culture that felt closer to home than Paris or Manchester ever could.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

But even in this era of blurring professional boundaries, what’s happening in the Spanish region of Catalonia is extreme.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

With his guitar in hand, and reverb cranked up to 11, Gonzalez joined Karol in debuting their spectral new shoegaze ballad, “Después de Ti,” which was steeped in yearning and performed entirely in Spanish.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

It was clear that I was going to have to bail on my Tina-free classes: Spanish, math, and gym and art, which alternated days.

From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen