1
plural in construction
: natives or inhabitants of Ireland or their descendants especially when of Celtic speech or culture
2
a
: the Celtic language of Ireland especially as used since the later medieval period
b
: English spoken by the Irish
3
Irish
adjective
Examples of Irish in a Sentence
How many Irish are there in England?
Recent Examples on the Web
Riley Leonard punched it in from three yards out to get the Fighting Irish in the end zone.
—
NBC News, 10 Jan. 2025
Presented at the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) awards on Feb. 14, the honor will celebrate a career spanning five decades that has seen Meaney work with some of the world’s most renowned filmmakers and actors.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 10 Jan. 2025
The Nittany Lions reached the Fighting Irish’s 1-yard line but could not reach the end zone, settling for a short field goal to take a second-quarter lead.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2025
Defensive back Christian Gray snared Drew Allar’s pass across the middle at the Nittany Lions 42 with 33 seconds left, then the Irish moved 19 yards to set up Mitch Jeter’s 41-yard winner with 7 seconds left.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for Irish 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
NBC News, 10 Jan. 2025
Presented at the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) awards on Feb. 14, the honor will celebrate a career spanning five decades that has seen Meaney work with some of the world’s most renowned filmmakers and actors.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 10 Jan. 2025
The Nittany Lions reached the Fighting Irish’s 1-yard line but could not reach the end zone, settling for a short field goal to take a second-quarter lead.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2025
Defensive back Christian Gray snared Drew Allar’s pass across the middle at the Nittany Lions 42 with 33 seconds left, then the Irish moved 19 yards to set up Mitch Jeter’s 41-yard winner with 7 seconds left.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for Irish
Dictionary Entries Near Irish
Cite this Entry
“Irish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Irish. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Irish
noun1
Irish plural
: the people of Ireland
2
: the Celtic language of Ireland
Irish
adjective
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share