Turkish

American  

[tur-kish] / ˈtɜr kɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or derived from Turkey or the Turks.

2. of or relating to the language of Turkey.

3. (loosely) Turkic.

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noun

1. the Turkic language of Turkey. Turk, Turk.

2. (loosely) Turkic.

Turkish British  

/ ˈtɜːkɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Turkey, its people, or their language

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noun

1. the official language of Turkey, belonging to the Turkic branch of the Altaic family See also Osmanli

Other Word Forms

• Turkishness noun
• anti-Turkish adjective
• non-Turkish adjective
• pro-Turkish adjective
• pseudo-Turkish adjective

Etymology

Origin of Turkish

First recorded in 1535–45; Turk + -ish ¹

Example Sentences

In addition, most participants were adults of Turkish ethnicity, so the findings may not fully apply to other populations.

From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026

She said the driver said he worked at the nearby barber shop, KS Turkish Barbers, and unlocked and opened the shutters.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

Uralogl said there were 15 ships belonging to Turkish shipowners waiting to pass through the strait when the war started.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

It’s astonishing that Mr. Ozon is the first to make a French film of the novella, which previously yielded only two feature versions, one Italian and the other Turkish.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Baba speaks no Turkish but it doesn’t matter—the hawkers switch instantly to Arabic.

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell