: 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
Cathie Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 14 May 2024
Queen Anne style describes a type of architecture between 1880 and 1910 modeled after English architects who took inspiration from Medieval and Jacobean style-buildings, according to the National Park Service.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 14 May 2024
The 703-room resort was sold to an English real estate firm for $705 million, with a down payment of $245 million, according to real estate database Vizzda.
—Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 14 May 2024
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
Pat Saperstein, Variety, 16 May 2024
For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 16 May 2024
Toffee bits are mixed into the pumpkin cake batter and Heath English Toffee Bar garnishes the spiced frosting.
Get The Recipe
15 of 15
Chocolate Pumpkin Pie
This chocolate pumpkin pie is uber-rich and indulgent.
—Mary Alice Russell, Southern Living, 16 May 2024
So at the social work center upstairs, students learn basic Lao and English, in addition to life skills such as managing their finances.
—Zinara Rathnayake, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 May 2024
The program features online and in-person courses, with visits to the ASU Tempe campus every six months over five years, and all courses are offered in English and Spanish.
—Silvia Solis, The Arizona Republic, 15 May 2024
Americanizing English Soccer: U.S. investors are gobbling up the storied teams of the English Premier League — and changing the stadium experience in ways that soccer fans resent.
—Tariq Panja, New York Times, 15 May 2024
And Alex English could slinky his way to 28 points a night.
—Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 15 May 2024
The church holds services in both English and Spanish, according to the diocese.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 4 May 2024
Adjective
The literacy program serves both native English speakers and individuals learning English as a second language, and a number of community residents volunteer as tutors.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 14 May 2024
Queen Anne style describes a type of architecture between 1880 and 1910 modeled after English architects who took inspiration from Medieval and Jacobean style-buildings, according to the National Park Service.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 14 May 2024
The 703-room resort was sold to an English real estate firm for $705 million, with a down payment of $245 million, according to real estate database Vizzda.
—Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 14 May 2024
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
Noun
Jaffe notes that the exhibition, which will be permanently on display, is bilingual in English and Spanish, which is the direction the entire museum is going in.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 16 May 2024
For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English Twitter account.
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 16 May 2024
Toffee bits are mixed into the pumpkin cake batter and Heath English Toffee Bar garnishes the spiced frosting.
Get The Recipe
15 of 15
Chocolate Pumpkin Pie
This chocolate pumpkin pie is uber-rich and indulgent.
—Mary Alice Russell, Southern Living, 16 May 2024
So at the social work center upstairs, students learn basic Lao and English, in addition to life skills such as managing their finances.
—Zinara Rathnayake, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 May 2024
The program features online and in-person courses, with visits to the ASU Tempe campus every six months over five years, and all courses are offered in English and Spanish.
—Silvia Solis, The Arizona Republic, 15 May 2024
Americanizing English Soccer: U.S. investors are gobbling up the storied teams of the English Premier League — and changing the stadium experience in ways that soccer fans resent.
—Tariq Panja, New York Times, 15 May 2024
And Alex English could slinky his way to 28 points a night.
—Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 15 May 2024
The church holds services in both English and Spanish, according to the diocese.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 4 May 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 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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