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 latest single from the English rockers succeeds thanks to a healthy first-frame sales count, as the tune only manages to appear on tallies that are focused on pure purchases. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024 On Tuesday, school staff met with each of the English classes that had the substitute teacher on Monday, and students will have additional opportunities to discuss it next week, according to the Tuesday letter. Dalia Faheid and Jillian Sykes, CNN, 17 Oct. 2024
Noun
Related Video Lisa’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Look Comes Straight From the VS Archives New English Interiors: At Home with Today’s Creatives is published by Quarto and out now. Elizabeth Metcalfe, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2024 This time, inspiration came from English writer H.G. Wells, whose sci-fi novel The Invisible Man — about a penniless researcher whose experiments in invisibility unlock a sadistic side to his personality — has become one of the all-time genre greats. Katie Rife, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for English 

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 31 Oct. 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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