Celtic

1 of 2

adjective

Celt·​ic ˈkel-tik How to pronounce Celtic (audio) ˈsel- How to pronounce Celtic (audio)
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the Celts or their languages
Celtic music
Celtic folklore

Celtic

2 of 2

noun

: a group of Indo-European languages usually subdivided into Brythonic and Goidelic and now largely confined to Brittany, Wales, Ireland, and the Scottish Highlands see Indo-European Languages Table

Examples of Celtic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
Bats' connection to Halloween dates back to Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival where large bonfires were built to ward off evil spirits. Madeline Heim, Journal Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2024 In Scotland and Ireland, there’s an understandably heavier Celtic influence upon it all, rooted in Samhain, the pre-Christian Gaelic festival between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice marking the harvest. Guy Martin, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 The holiday’s origins date to the 8th century Celtic festival of Samhain, which was intended to ward off the ghosts of the dead that were said to return the night before the fall harvest on Nov. 1. Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024 Many Roman traditions were merged with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain, History reports. Mariyam Muhammad, The Enquirer, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Celtic 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1530, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1658, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Celtic was circa 1530

Dictionary Entries Near Celtic

Cite this Entry

“Celtic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Celtic. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

Celtic

1 of 2 adjective
Celt·​ic ˈkel-tik How to pronounce Celtic (audio) ˈsel- How to pronounce Celtic (audio)
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the Celts or their languages

Celtic

2 of 2 noun
: a group of languages including Gaelic and Welsh
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!