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

Hoey said some people get coconut notes from the IPA, while others taste a more woody profile. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 18 Apr. 2025

Float House makes an IPA and a Lite Lager with 3 grams of THC as well as 6 mg of CBD. —Em Sauter, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025

Ask each guest to bring a six-pack of their favorite IPA, stout or lager. —Maggie Griswold, StyleCaster, 1 Apr. 2025

Production of beers like Yeti imperial stout and Titan IPA will move to Wilding’s facility in Denver’s Sunnyside neighborhood, the announcement states. —Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 1 Apr. 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.