English

1 of 3

adjective

: of, relating to, or characteristic of England, the English people, or the English language
Englishness noun

English

2 of 3

noun

1
a
: the language of the people of England and the U.S. and many areas now or formerly under British control
b
: a particular variety of English distinguished by peculiarities (as of pronunciation)
c
: English language, literature, or composition when a subject of study
2
plural in construction : the people of England
3
a
: an English translation
b
: idiomatic or intelligible English
4
: spin around the vertical axis deliberately imparted to a ball that is driven or rolled compare draw, follow, body english

English

3 of 3

verb

Englished; Englishing; Englishes

transitive verb

1
: to translate into English
2
: to adopt into English : anglicize

Examples of English in a Sentence

Noun The English traditionally have afternoon tea. I asked the doctor to give me my diagnosis in English, not medical jargon.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The broad boulevard was originally commissioned by Sir William Pulteney, a 5th Baronet, and was designed by English architect Thomas Baldwin. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2024 Wakefield graduated in 1955 from Columbia University with an English degree. Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 More than 70 percent of the school’s students are economically disadvantaged — one of the highest rates for a high school in the county — and more than 45 percent are English language learners. Karina Elwood, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Through the years, he’s held a number of jobs, eventually becoming a middle school English teacher in San Jose, California. Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 Norse words were integrated into the English language, Danes became common villains in British folktales and Scandinavian descendants took root across the country. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024 Ancestry’s findings, which were announced Monday (March 4), show that both Swift and the poet — who was born in 1830 and passed away at 55 years old in 1886 — are descended from the same 17th century English immigrant. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 4 Mar. 2024 Among other things, the district used federal money to add English and math teachers at the high school level, allowing for smaller class sizes, Pastusek said. Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Mar. 2024 Delegates also use a system of proposals to publicly raise pet issues, with policy solutions ranging from practical ideas, such as reforms to parental leave or raising minimum wages for gig workers, to nationalist grandstanding over issues like cutting English lessons from the school curriculum. Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024
Noun
Arsenal also made history on Monday, becoming the first side in English league soccer history to win three successive away games by five goals or more, according to Opta. Ben Church, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 Even from a language standpoint, his first language is Spanish, not English. Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024 Though the majority of her content is in English, Nara does speak both languages and has occasionally made some of her cooking TikToks in German, including a January 2024 video showcasing a recipe for German pancakes. Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 Specialty drinks from Ridgeview English sparkling wine, Hampton Court handcrafted gin and rum and Nc’nean whiskey. Marc Malkin, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 Academic interventionists work one-on-one with students who have challenges at school, including those who are learning English and those with learning differences like dyslexia or dyscalculia. Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Mar. 2024 Many programmers often liken coding in Python, for instance, to writing in plain English, thanks to its friendly syntax. Sheon Han, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, all three models are improving in analysis and forecasting, content creation, code generation, and conversing in languages other than English, including Japanese and French, Anthropic said. Britney Nguyen, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 The book will hit shelves on Sept. 17 in both English and Spanish. Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'English.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English englisc, from Engle (plural) Angles

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of English was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near English

Cite this Entry

“English.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/English. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

English

1 of 2 adjective
En·​glish ˈiŋ-glish How to pronounce English (audio)
: of, relating to, or characteristic of England, the English people, or the English language

English

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: the language of the people of England and the U.S. and many areas now or formerly under British control
b
: English language, literature, or writing technique that is a subject of study
2
English plural : the people of England
3
: a sideways spin given to a ball when it is struck or bowled
Etymology

Adjective

Old English englisc "English," from Engle "the Angles (Germanic people who invaded England in the 5th century along with the Saxons and with them formed the Anglo-Saxon peoples)"

Biographical Definition

English

biographical name

En·​glish ˈiŋ-glish How to pronounce English (audio)
ˈiŋ-lish
Bill 1961–    Simon William English prime minister of New Zealand (2016–2017)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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