1
plural in construction
: natives or inhabitants of Ireland or their descendants especially when of Celtic speech or culture
2
a
: the Celtic language of Ireland especially as used since the later medieval period
b
: English spoken by the Irish
3
Irish
adjective
Examples of Irish in a Sentence
How many Irish are there in England?
Recent Examples on the Web
Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne's 3 Kids: All About Aimee, Kelly and Jack
Louis ran the 2023 London marathon in honor of his wife
Kelly's older half-brother Louis married his wife, Louise (née Lennon), on New Year’s Eve in 2003, according to the Irish Examiner.
—
Ale Russian, Peoplemag, 22 May 2024
Patty Bolan rarely came home throughout her studies — except for annual visits to Milwaukee’s Irish Fest.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 22 May 2024
Brick row houses, some restored by whimsical architects in the 1980s, mixed with more traditional ones that haven't changed much since its Irish Catholic days.
—Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 21 May 2024
Kansas City Irish Fest, 5-11 p.m. Aug. 30, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Aug. 31-Sept. 1, Crown Center ($8-$60).
—Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 19 May 2024
Fintan O’Toole Fintan O’Toole is the Advising Editor at The New York Review and a columnist for The Irish Times.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 16 May 2024
In 1742, Franklin repeatedly suspended work on Pamela to print lottery tickets, licenses for peddlers and public houses, sheriff’s warrants, naval certificates, soap wrappers, medical cures, bookplates for libraries, 1,000 hat bills, Irish Society tickets, and thousands of advertisements.
—Adam Smyth, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2024
New Yorkers weren’t exactly on their best behavior, either, with one dude holding up an image on his phone of a potato (presumably referencing the Irish Potato Famine).
—David MacK, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2024
The Heart in Winter By Kevin Barry Doubleday: 256 pages, $28
(July 9)
Irish Booker Prize nominee Kevin Barry traverses the Atlantic in this story set in 1891 Montana.
—Lorraine Berry, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2024
Ale Russian, Peoplemag, 22 May 2024
Patty Bolan rarely came home throughout her studies — except for annual visits to Milwaukee’s Irish Fest.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 22 May 2024
Brick row houses, some restored by whimsical architects in the 1980s, mixed with more traditional ones that haven't changed much since its Irish Catholic days.
—Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 21 May 2024
Kansas City Irish Fest, 5-11 p.m. Aug. 30, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Aug. 31-Sept. 1, Crown Center ($8-$60).
—Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 19 May 2024
Fintan O’Toole Fintan O’Toole is the Advising Editor at The New York Review and a columnist for The Irish Times.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 16 May 2024
In 1742, Franklin repeatedly suspended work on Pamela to print lottery tickets, licenses for peddlers and public houses, sheriff’s warrants, naval certificates, soap wrappers, medical cures, bookplates for libraries, 1,000 hat bills, Irish Society tickets, and thousands of advertisements.
—Adam Smyth, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2024
New Yorkers weren’t exactly on their best behavior, either, with one dude holding up an image on his phone of a potato (presumably referencing the Irish Potato Famine).
—David MacK, Rolling Stone, 16 May 2024
The Heart in Winter By Kevin Barry Doubleday: 256 pages, $28
(July 9)
Irish Booker Prize nominee Kevin Barry traverses the Atlantic in this story set in 1891 Montana.
—Lorraine Berry, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Irish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near Irish
Cite this Entry
“Irish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Irish. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Irish
noun1
Irish plural
: the people of Ireland
2
: the Celtic language of Ireland
Irish
adjective
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