: 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
Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 15 Jan. 2025
Peppiatt is also nominated for best film not in the English language and original screenplay.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Jan. 2025
Tariro Mzezewa, Vogue, 3 Jan. 2025
Robinson—whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lemmon—founded the anti-Islam English Defence League and has become a major far-right figure in the U.K., attracting thousands of supporters to rallies and garnering widespread criticism for his divisive anti-immigrant rhetoric.
—Alison Durkee, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for English 
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.
Adjective
Every afternoon at 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Luna offers a full English tea with pastries and sandwiches.
—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 15 Jan. 2025
Peppiatt is also nominated for best film not in the English language and original screenplay.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
Ayra Starr—who sings in English, Yoruba, Nigerian Pidgin, and French—dropped her sophomore album, before going on to dominate the festival circuit all summer.
—Tariro Mzezewa, Vogue, 3 Jan. 2025
Robinson—whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lemmon—founded the anti-Islam English Defence League and has become a major far-right figure in the U.K., attracting thousands of supporters to rallies and garnering widespread criticism for his divisive anti-immigrant rhetoric.
—Alison Durkee, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for English
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 18 Jan. 2025.
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)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share