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 The second of her two-picture creative partnership with the streaming platform, Irish Wish is a tale of luck and romance sprinkled with supernatural elements. Hanna Lustig, Glamour, 6 Feb. 2024 Join Alhambra Irish House for an epic Super Bowl Watch Party featuring delicious food, ice-cold drinks and great company — and multiple big screens. Brittany Delay, The Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2024 Lohan and Ayesha collaborated on the upcoming Netflix movie Irish Wish. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 5 Feb. 2024 The idea of a nationalist first minister in Northern Ireland, let alone one from Sinn Fein, a party with historic ties to the Irish Republican Army, was indeed once unthinkable. Megan Specia, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2024 That gives the nationalist party, affiliated with the militant Irish Republican Army during the Troubles, the right to hold the post of first minister, with the DUP supplying a deputy. Jill Lawless, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Feb. 2024 Reverie Road, 7 p.m. Feb. 7, Kansas City Irish Center ($25). Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 31 Jan. 2024 Just a few blocks away, the Brickell Irish Pub has paradoxically been waiving the German flag since early-September. Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 Cornerstone to the trio’s artistic ethos is the use of the Irish language (sometimes referred to as Irish Gaelic), to which writer-director Rich Peppiatt (a Brit) remains faithful. Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 26 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Irish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English *Īrisc, from Īras Irishmen, of Celtic origin; akin to Old Irish Ériu Ireland

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Irish was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near Irish

Cite this Entry

“Irish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Irish. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Irish

noun
1
Irish plural : the people of Ireland
2
: the Celtic language of Ireland
Irish adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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