Scottish

1 of 2

adjective

Scot·​tish ˈskä-tish How to pronounce Scottish (audio)
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Scotland, Scots, or the Scots
Scottishness
ˈskä-tish-nəs How to pronounce Scottish (audio)
noun

Scottish

2 of 2

noun

: scots

Examples of Scottish in a Sentence

Adjective He spoke with a Scottish accent. Robert Burns was a great Scottish poet.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Previously the festival, which has been held in the Scottish city of Edinburgh for fifty years, would traditionally take place in the last week of August. — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026 Sam Heughan, the Scottish star and producer of Starz’s hit historical fantasy Outlander, has found his next TV project. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
Noun
Simultaneously there were 10 games in the Scottish League Cup, all won, including the October final against Rangers. — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026 West was transported to Tanner Medical Center in Villa Rica and later moved to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's Scottish Rite Hospital. — Dan Raby, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for Scottish

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Scottes Scotsmen

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1759, in the meaning defined above

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

Phrases Containing Scottish

Browse Nearby Words

scotting
Scottish
Scottish asphodel
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scottish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Scottish. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

Scottish

1 of 2 adjective
Scot·​tish ˈskät-ish How to pronounce Scottish (audio)
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Scotland, the people of Scotland, or the Scots language

Scottish

2 of 2 noun
: scots entry 2
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