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
Derived 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 Coast Guard received a call from a member of the public at 12:30 BST.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
My Irish Catholic mother’s inherited resentment of Protestant English monarchs discouraged enthusiasm for William of Orange’s successors.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
Nearly 20,000 Americans applied for Irish citizenship in 2025, while about 9,000 applied for British citizenship, a considerably more difficult and expensive process.
From Salon • May 31, 2026
"However, the increased cost of rural crime to Northern Irish farmers shows that we cannot afford to be complacent, and that organised criminals will continue to find new ways to target farmers."
From BBC • May 30, 2026
The neighborhood experienced a dramatic population influx in the 1840s, when the Irish potato famine led to a great migration to America, as tens of thousands of Irish immigrants landed in Boston.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
