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

The Spanish are chasing their own otherworldly feat, coming close to matching beat-for-beat their performance in South Africa 16 years ago that ended with a World Cup title. — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 16 July 2026

The Spanish will play the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between Argentina and England on Sunday. — NBC news, 15 July 2026

Another set of balloons, organized by the Spanish Federation of Astronomical Associations, will be launched almost 20 miles into the sky over Spain. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 15 July 2026

The displays automatically show weekly Board agendas and supplemental items in English, along with rotating displays in Spanish, Tagalog and Mandarin, and include QR codes linking to agenda materials. — City News Service, Daily News, 15 July 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