: 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
En·glish·ness
plural -es
: the distinctive qualities or characteristics that set apart or are felt to set apart the English people, their works, or institutions
Oxford and Cambridge are the very essence of Englishness, on a par with the monarchy, Parliament, the Church of England—
Newsweek
NewsweekExamples of English in a Sentence
Noun (1)
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
Cal Phillips
june 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 June 2026
RisingJoy, which has built a licensing and distribution network spanning more than 30 countries and 50-plus platforms, covers content in Chinese, English, Korean and AI-original formats.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 June 2026
English has finished between 17th and 25th in most starts this season, including a T4 at the RBC Heritage, T18 at the PGA Championship and T17 at the Memorial Tournament in three of his past five events.
—Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026
The officers on the blue vessel spoke English and shouted orders via interpreters.
—Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026
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Noun
The square offered two viewing areas, with one screen showing the Fox broadcast in English and another area showing the Telemundo broadcast in Spanish.
—Cal Phillips
june 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 June 2026
RisingJoy, which has built a licensing and distribution network spanning more than 30 countries and 50-plus platforms, covers content in Chinese, English, Korean and AI-original formats.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 June 2026
English has finished between 17th and 25th in most starts this season, including a T4 at the RBC Heritage, T18 at the PGA Championship and T17 at the Memorial Tournament in three of his past five events.
—Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026
The officers on the blue vessel spoke English and shouted orders via interpreters.
—Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for English
Cite this Entry
“English.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/English. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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)"
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