TOP

Definition of English adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

English

adjective
 
/ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/
 
/ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/
jump to other results
  1. connected with England, its people or its language
    • the English countryside
    • an English man/woman
    • typically English attitudes
    • an English dictionary
    More About the Britishthe British
    • There is no singular noun which is commonly used to refer to a person from Britain. Instead the adjective British is used:
      • She’s British.
      • The British have a very odd sense of humour.
      The adjective English refers only to people from England, not the rest of the United Kingdom.
    • The noun Briton is used mainly in newspapers:
      • The survivors of the avalanche included 12 Britons.
      It also describes the early inhabitants of Britain:
      • the ancient Britons.
      Brit is informal. Britisher is now very old-fashioned.
    Word OriginOld English Englisc (from Angle, a Germanic people who came to England in 5th century AD + -ish). The word originally denoted the early Germanic settlers of Britain (Angles, Saxons, and Jutes), or their language (now called Old English).
See English in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
Check pronunciation: English

Nearby words

trait
noun
 
 
From the Word list
Oxford 5000
B2
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day