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
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
John Douglas, the guitarist and vocalist of Scottish indie rock outfit Trashcan Sinatras, has died, the band announced on social media. — Alex Suskind, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026 The streamer recently ordered a sequel to the ’90s cult classic Clueless, a Scottish family drama called Laird and the true crime drama Fear Not, among others. — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026
Noun
Henseleit finished fourth in the Women's Scottish Open and then lost in a playoff at the Women's British Open (points are double in a major) to narrowly beat Chiara Tamburlini of Switzerland for the second spot. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 Since then, the Scottish Play—as it is often called in the theater world, to ward off bad luck—has been performed and adapted countless times, for stage and screen. — Literary Hub, 3 Aug. 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 5 Aug. 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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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