: 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
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2024
The legendary actor, 87, made his remarks on the Club Random with Bill Maher podcast while discussing the late English actor Laurence Olivier, who appeared in the 1965 film version of Othello in blackface.
—Charmaine Patterson, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
While this is the first major change to the look of the Scrabble board, the game regularly adds new words to its official dictionary in order to keep up as the English language evolves.
—Jack Guy, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
His wife, Joanna Hare, a clinical psychologist at Dana-Farber, is the daughter of an English viscount.
—Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Her rabbits, kittens, mice and squirrels are anthropomorphized, but there is a ruthless, survival-of-the-fittest ethos always in the background, creating a surreal fusion of quaint, cozy English domesticity and stern, Darwinian rigor.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
The list also includes Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, which is frequently taught in high school English classes.
—Ella Feldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Apr. 2024
Many middle-class Mexican American families have chosen to give their children an English first name and a Spanish middle name; Kihm told me she’s seen many Asian Americans do the same in their respective languages.
—Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
Two versions of the boy band’s latest track — one with Japanese and the other with English lyrics — dropped digitally March 18 and logged 75,135 downloads to hit No. 1 for the metric.
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2024
Maya Polton, Parents, 29 Mar. 2024
Maria Adele Del Vecchio emblazons shawls, most of them originally her mother’s, with phrases from books in Italian and English, one of them a Toni Morrison novel.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
There are also a bevy of side-by-side shotguns, including the New Ithaca Double (made famous by gun writer Elmer Keith) and English doubles from Purdey, Holland & Holland, and others.
—Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 28 Mar. 2024
Brinton helped support mill workers by teaching them English and opening her home as a gathering place following the 1886 Bay View Tragedy, according to Encyclopedia of Milwaukee.
—Gina Lee Castro, Journal Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2024
For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2024
The smart glasses’s AI features will only be available in the U.S., and voice features are only available in English, Italian, and French, Meta said.
—Britney Nguyen, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024
The Parisians spoke excellent English but knew almost no Russian.
—Paul Tough, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024
Police responded to the Alight Fayetteville apartment complex at 1601 S. English Place around 11:23 p.m. Friday after receiving multiple calls regarding more than 15 shots being fired, according to the report.
—Nwa Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 17 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Born in Bristol, CT in 1954, LeBlanc also had a robust solo career, drumming on tracks for English producer Adrian Sherwood’s On-U Sound productions.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2024
The legendary actor, 87, made his remarks on the Club Random with Bill Maher podcast while discussing the late English actor Laurence Olivier, who appeared in the 1965 film version of Othello in blackface.
—Charmaine Patterson, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
While this is the first major change to the look of the Scrabble board, the game regularly adds new words to its official dictionary in order to keep up as the English language evolves.
—Jack Guy, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
His wife, Joanna Hare, a clinical psychologist at Dana-Farber, is the daughter of an English viscount.
—Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Her rabbits, kittens, mice and squirrels are anthropomorphized, but there is a ruthless, survival-of-the-fittest ethos always in the background, creating a surreal fusion of quaint, cozy English domesticity and stern, Darwinian rigor.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
The list also includes Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, which is frequently taught in high school English classes.
—Ella Feldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Apr. 2024
Many middle-class Mexican American families have chosen to give their children an English first name and a Spanish middle name; Kihm told me she’s seen many Asian Americans do the same in their respective languages.
—Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
Two versions of the boy band’s latest track — one with Japanese and the other with English lyrics — dropped digitally March 18 and logged 75,135 downloads to hit No. 1 for the metric.
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2024
Noun
Each shape and color is labeled in English and Braille, and the toy’s compact size allows for easy portability.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 29 Mar. 2024
Maria Adele Del Vecchio emblazons shawls, most of them originally her mother’s, with phrases from books in Italian and English, one of them a Toni Morrison novel.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
There are also a bevy of side-by-side shotguns, including the New Ithaca Double (made famous by gun writer Elmer Keith) and English doubles from Purdey, Holland & Holland, and others.
—Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 28 Mar. 2024
Brinton helped support mill workers by teaching them English and opening her home as a gathering place following the 1886 Bay View Tragedy, according to Encyclopedia of Milwaukee.
—Gina Lee Castro, Journal Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2024
For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2024
The smart glasses’s AI features will only be available in the U.S., and voice features are only available in English, Italian, and French, Meta said.
—Britney Nguyen, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024
The Parisians spoke excellent English but knew almost no Russian.
—Paul Tough, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024
Police responded to the Alight Fayetteville apartment complex at 1601 S. English Place around 11:23 p.m. Friday after receiving multiple calls regarding more than 15 shots being fired, according to the report.
—Nwa Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 17 Mar. 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.
Articles Related to English
Dictionary Entries Near English
Cite this Entry
“English.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/English. Accessed 19 Apr. 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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