Spanish

noun

Span·​ish ˈspa-nish 

1

: the Romance language of the largest part of Spain and of the countries colonized by Spaniards

2

plural in construction : the people of Spain

Spanish adjective

Spanishness noun

Examples of Spanish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Hallegua is a Paradesi Jew, the once-dominant group whose fair-skinned, Sephardic ancestors from Spain and Portugal fled the Spanish Inquisition in the 16th century. — ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026

Built in 1931, the Spanish Revival-style property now spans 6,310 square feet and has six bedrooms and seven baths, including a separate one-bedroom, one-bath guest home. — Pueng Vongs, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026

Organized by the festival and the Basque Film Archive, in collaboration with the Spanish Film Archive, the retrospective will be accompanied by a bilingual study written by Felipe Cabrerizo and edited by Quim Casas. — Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026

The houses lost include the mansion seen on the multi-Emmy-winning comedy series Hacks, a 1915 Spanish Colonial Revival, with only its facade still standing. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, adjective, from Middle English Spainish, from Spain

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Spanish

• Judeo-Spanish
• Mexican Spanish
• Spanish American
• Spanish bayonet
• Spanish chestnut
• Spanish fly
• Spanish mackerel
• Spanish moss
• Spanish needles
• Spanish omelet
• Spanish onion
• Spanish rice
• the Spanish

Rhymes for Spanish

• banish
• clannish
• mannish
• vanish

Kids Definition

Spanish

noun

Span·​ish ˈspan-ish 

1

: the Romance language of Spain and of the countries colonized by Spaniards

2

Spanish plural : the people of Spain

Spanish adjective