1
plural Swiss
a
: a native or inhabitant of Switzerland
b
: one that is of Swiss descent
2
often swiss : any of various fine sheer fabrics of cotton originally made in Switzerland
especially : dotted swiss
3

Swiss

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or characteristic of Switzerland or the Swiss

Examples of Swiss in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Saab recommends ivory or plaster finishes, such as Benjamin Moore’s ever-popular shade, Swiss Coffee. Cori Sears, The Spruce, 21 June 2026 The Swiss are keeping the venue ready until mid-morning on Monday, allowing negotiations to run until then if necessary. Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 21 June 2026
Adjective
Sean Vard, the long-time groom for Swiss rider Martin Fuchs, spends much of his life on the road, ferrying top show jumpers around Europe and beyond from his base near Zurich, Switzerland. Danielle Rossingh, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 The data set shows the Hong Kong chief executive is the second-highest earner ​globally with $719,000 annually, followed by the Swiss president at $606,000. Reuters, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for Swiss

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French Suisse, from Middle High German Swīzer, from Swīz Switzerland

First Known Use

Noun

1515, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1530, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Swiss was in 1515

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Swiss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Swiss. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

Swiss

noun
ˈswis
1
plural Swiss
a
: a person born or living in Switzerland
b
: a person of Swiss ancestry
2
: a pale yellow firm cheese with many large holes
Swiss adjective

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