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

Then there was the 2013 case of a kestrel discovered by Turkish villagers with a ring around its leg bearing the words, “24311 Tel Avivunia Israel.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

Mourinho also had spells at Tottenham, Serie A side Roma, where he won the Europa Conference League in 2022, and Turkish club Fenerbahce, before taking over at Benfica last year.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

Many high-end chocolatiers and bakeries insist that Iranian and Turkish pistachios are higher quality and better suited for baking because of their oil content.

From Salon • May 6, 2026

Turkey's foreign ministry said some 20 Turkish nationals in the flotilla who had been detained and taken to Crete would be repatriated.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

She looks down at the letter in her hand, runs a finger across the Turkish stamps.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar