: of, relating to, or characteristic of England, the English people, or the English language
Englishness
noun
1
a
: the language of the people of England and the U.S. and many areas now or formerly under British control
b
: a particular variety of English distinguished by peculiarities (as of pronunciation)
c
: English language, literature, or composition when a subject of study
2
plural in construction
: the people of England
3
a
: an English translation
b
: idiomatic or intelligible English
4
: spin around the vertical axis deliberately imparted to a ball that is driven or rolled compare draw, follow, body english
Englished; Englishing; Englishes
Examples of English in a Sentence
Noun
The English traditionally have afternoon tea.
I asked the doctor to give me my diagnosis in English, not medical jargon.
Recent Examples on the Web
Plum Sykes, Vogue, 2 May 2024
In 1822, English paleontologist William Conybeare dubbed the creature Mosasaurus, a seagoing relative of today’s monitor lizards that hunted in prehistoric seas.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 May 2024
The all-purpose potting mix works well for a variety of common indoor plants, such as pothos, spider plants, monstera, philodendron, and English ivy.
—Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 May 2024
François, an English teacher who joined the school the year after Mr. Paty’s death, says that he was intimidated at first but has been impressed by the staff’s sense of togetherness.
—Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Apr. 2024
Unlike the Latin alphabet of romance languages, Greek letters are indecipherable for English speakers, making the language more difficult to learn than Romance languages such as Spanish, Italian, and French.
—Karen I. Chen, Travel + Leisure, 1 Mar. 2022
The opera will be sung in Italian with English supertitles projected on a screen above the stage.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
The Dalí Museum also selected English translations of Dalí's writings in other languages, including his Mystical Manifesto, Diary of a Genius and The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí.
—Chloe Veltman, NPR, 21 Apr. 2024
Nearly 35 years later, the phrase still resonates with audiences, as does the emotional drama about a group of boys who are forever changed by their English teacher.
—Ale Russian, Peoplemag, 20 Apr. 2024
Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 4 May 2024
The London-set story revolves around 17-year-old Karim — whose father is Indian and mother is English — and his journey in a 1970s Britain, which was becoming increasingly racist and intolerant.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 May 2024
The pop rock track — the first single from the upcoming album by the Latin Grammy-winning Venezuelan singer and songwriter — talks about the complicated relationship between a man who only speaks Spanish and a woman who speaks only English.
—Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 3 May 2024
In what should be a moving tribute to the great English conductor Andrew Davis, who recently died at the age of 80, the Festival Singers will perform a work by his son, Edward Frazier Davis.
—Patrick Neas, Kansas City Star, 3 May 2024
In 1609, the Dutch East India Company hired English navigator Henry Hudson to search for a water passage through North America.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 May 2024
This initiative, which supports multiple languages including English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, leverages a diverse network of academicians, researchers, tech platforms, and fact checkers.
—Fahad Shah, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 May 2024
Alex is globally certified as bilingual in the Spanish and English languages.
—The Courier-Journal, 22 Apr. 2024
Along with the four different modes of play, babies will love the 100 melodies and phrases, which come in four languages: English, Spanish, French, and German.
—Christine Luff, Parents, 22 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Tristan had worked for fifteen years for the famous decorator Robert Kime, whose work conjures up the essence of the bohemian English country house for clients ranging from pop stars to Prince Charles.
—Plum Sykes, Vogue, 2 May 2024
In 1822, English paleontologist William Conybeare dubbed the creature Mosasaurus, a seagoing relative of today’s monitor lizards that hunted in prehistoric seas.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 May 2024
The all-purpose potting mix works well for a variety of common indoor plants, such as pothos, spider plants, monstera, philodendron, and English ivy.
—Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 May 2024
François, an English teacher who joined the school the year after Mr. Paty’s death, says that he was intimidated at first but has been impressed by the staff’s sense of togetherness.
—Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Apr. 2024
Unlike the Latin alphabet of romance languages, Greek letters are indecipherable for English speakers, making the language more difficult to learn than Romance languages such as Spanish, Italian, and French.
—Karen I. Chen, Travel + Leisure, 1 Mar. 2022
The opera will be sung in Italian with English supertitles projected on a screen above the stage.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
The Dalí Museum also selected English translations of Dalí's writings in other languages, including his Mystical Manifesto, Diary of a Genius and The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí.
—Chloe Veltman, NPR, 21 Apr. 2024
Nearly 35 years later, the phrase still resonates with audiences, as does the emotional drama about a group of boys who are forever changed by their English teacher.
—Ale Russian, Peoplemag, 20 Apr. 2024
Noun
The church holds services in both English and Spanish, according to the diocese.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 4 May 2024
The London-set story revolves around 17-year-old Karim — whose father is Indian and mother is English — and his journey in a 1970s Britain, which was becoming increasingly racist and intolerant.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 May 2024
The pop rock track — the first single from the upcoming album by the Latin Grammy-winning Venezuelan singer and songwriter — talks about the complicated relationship between a man who only speaks Spanish and a woman who speaks only English.
—Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 3 May 2024
In what should be a moving tribute to the great English conductor Andrew Davis, who recently died at the age of 80, the Festival Singers will perform a work by his son, Edward Frazier Davis.
—Patrick Neas, Kansas City Star, 3 May 2024
In 1609, the Dutch East India Company hired English navigator Henry Hudson to search for a water passage through North America.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 May 2024
This initiative, which supports multiple languages including English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, leverages a diverse network of academicians, researchers, tech platforms, and fact checkers.
—Fahad Shah, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 May 2024
Alex is globally certified as bilingual in the Spanish and English languages.
—The Courier-Journal, 22 Apr. 2024
Along with the four different modes of play, babies will love the 100 melodies and phrases, which come in four languages: English, Spanish, French, and German.
—Christine Luff, Parents, 22 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'English.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near English
Cite this Entry
“English.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/English. Accessed 8 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
English
1 of 2 adjective
En·glish
ˈiŋ-glish 
: of, relating to, or characteristic of England, the English people, or the English language
English
2 of 2 noun1
a
: the language of the people of England and the U.S. and many areas now or formerly under British control
b
: English language, literature, or writing technique that is a subject of study
2
English plural
: the people of England
3
: a sideways spin given to a ball when it is struck or bowled
Etymology
Adjective
Old English englisc "English," from Engle "the Angles (Germanic people who invaded England in the 5th century along with the Saxons and with them formed the Anglo-Saxon peoples)"
Biographical Definition
English
biographical name
En·glish
ˈiŋ-glish
ˈiŋ-lish
Bill 1961– Simon William English prime minister of New Zealand (2016–2017)
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