IPA

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˌī-(ˌ)pē-ˈā 

plural IPAs

: a pale ale made with extra hops : india pale ale

American beers, especially IPAs, are still quite hoppy …

—Lauren Buzzeo

IPA

2 of 3

noun (2)

ˌī-(ˌ)pē-ˈā 

: an alphabet designed to represent each human speech sound with a unique symbol

IPA

3 of 3

abbreviation

individual practice association

Examples of IPA in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Russian River Brewing took home a silver medal for its experimental RnD West Coast Pils #7 (in the new category of Vera hop beer) as did Half Moon Bay’s Hop Dogma Brewing for Muka Laka Hiki, a New Zealand IPA. —Jay R. Brooks, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025

Co-owners Shane and Michael Pearson needed new digs to brew a lineup of beers including the extremely inviting Lift Off IPA, which took home a gold medal in the American IPA category at the 2025 Indiana Brewers Cup. —Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 13 Oct. 2025

That includes three gold medals, one of which was in the West Coast IPA category, the competition’s second-most-competitive. —Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2025

The Spotted Cow cult following — which paved the way for the brewery’s equally passionate Moon Man IPA frenzy — provides New Glarus with visits from locals and beer fans alike. —Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

India Pale Ale

Noun (2)

International Phonetic Alphabet

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1893, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1933, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

IPA

abbreviation

independent practice association; individual practice association

Note: An independent practice association is made up of a group of physicians in private practice who join in an association that contracts with a managed health-care plan (as an HMO) to provide medical services to patients enrolled in the plan.