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

At the new Bay View taproom, the brewery will serve small runs as well as Solemn Oath Brewery staples, such as its popular Lü Kölsch, Snaggletooth Bandana IPA, Small Wave City Club hazy IPA and Kidnapped by Vikings IPA. —Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025

Not every day calls for a 14 percent triple IPA. —Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025

Harland’s three core beers-the Japanese Lager, West Coast IPA and Hazy IPA-pair with specialties like their rotating New Zealand hopped IPA series, Sour Series and a yearly release of Ube Milkshake IPA. —Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025

Russian River Brewing took home a silver medal for its experimental RnD West Coast Pils #7 (in the new category of Vera hop beer) as did Half Moon Bay’s Hop Dogma Brewing for Muka Laka Hiki, a New Zealand IPA. —Jay R. Brooks, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 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.