Irish

noun

ˈī-rish 

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 whiskey

Irish adjective

Examples of Irish in a Sentence

How many Irish are there in England?

Recent Examples on the Web

Despite 71 caps and two Rugby World Cup (2019 and 2023) appearances for England, Genge is one of 26 newcomers to the British and Irish Lions squad. —Vitas Carosella, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025

This year's Irish Open will take place at The K Club while the BMW PGA Championship returns to Wentworth for the 41st consecutive year. —Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025

Ship of Fools perform from 7-10 p.m. at Hibernia Irish Tavern, 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road. —Jack W. Hill, Arkansas Online, 21 May 2025

The Irish agreed earlier this month to a 12-year home-and-home scheduling agreement with Clemson. —Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English *Īrisc, from Īras Irishmen, of Celtic origin; akin to Old Irish Ériu Ireland

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Irish

• anti-Irish
• Irish bull
• Irish coffee
• Irish confetti
• Irish Gaelic
• Irish mail
• Irish moss
• Irish potato
• Irish setter
• Irish stew
• Irish terrier
• Irish water spaniel
• Irish whiskey
• Irish wolfhound
• Middle Irish
• Old Irish
• Scotch-Irish
• Scots-Irish

Kids Definition

Irish

noun

ˈī(ə)r-ish 

1

Irish plural : the people of Ireland

2

: the Celtic language of Ireland

Irish adjective