IPA

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˌī-(ˌ)pē-ˈā 

plural IPAs

: a pale ale made with extra hops : india pale ale

American beers, especially IPAs, are still quite hoppy …

—Lauren Buzzeo

IPA

2 of 3

noun (2)

ˌī-(ˌ)pē-ˈā 

: an alphabet designed to represent each human speech sound with a unique symbol

IPA

3 of 3

abbreviation

individual practice association

Examples of IPA in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Choose a light ale or lager, or a citrusy IPA for best results. —Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 8 July 2025

Maybe try it with Porter and serve it with a cold IPA? —Randy Graham, Oc Register, 8 July 2025

Wash it down with standout brews like the Blueberry Fruit Tart and Lakeview Haze, an IPA with notes of pineapple, mango, kiwi, and white grape with a sweet citrus finish. —Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2025

BrewDog's bottled beers in a variety of styles, such as ales, stouts, India pale ales (IPA) and lagers, are distributed to British supermarkets and exported worldwide. —Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

India Pale Ale

Noun (2)

International Phonetic Alphabet

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1893, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1933, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

IPA

abbreviation

independent practice association; individual practice association

Note: An independent practice association is made up of a group of physicians in private practice who join in an association that contracts with a managed health-care plan (as an HMO) to provide medical services to patients enrolled in the plan.