# Spanish

/ˈspænɪʃ/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/spanish
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. the language

noun · CEFR A1

the language spoken in Spain, Mexico, and most of Central and South America.

For teachers: a Romance language originating in the Iberian Peninsula, now a global lingua franca primarily spoken in Spain and the Americas.

- She decided to learn Spanish before her trip to Madrid next summer.
- The curriculum offers Spanish as a primary foreign language, focusing on both Peninsular and Latin American dialectal variations.

### 2. the people

noun · CEFR A2

the people who come from the country of Spain.

For teachers: the people of Spain, considered collectively as a nationality.

- The Spanish are known for their beautiful architecture and lively festivals.
- Historically, the Spanish established vast trade networks that significantly influenced the economic development of the Western Hemisphere.

Usage: Usually preceded by 'the' when referring to the people as a whole.

### 3. relating to Spain

adjective · CEFR A1

coming from or relating to Spain, its people, or its culture.

For teachers: of or pertaining to Spain, its inhabitants, or their cultural output.

- We went to a great restaurant that serves traditional Spanish food.
- The museum features an extensive collection of Spanish art, ranging from the Golden Age to contemporary masterpieces.

### 4. licorice

noun · CEFR C2 · Dialect · British English

a type of black candy made from the root of a plant.

For teachers: a regional term for licorice confectionery.

- The old sweet shop sold long sticks of black Spanish by the ounce.
- In certain northern districts, children would traditionally ask for Spanish when referring to hard licorice sticks.

### 5. printing process

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to use a special method to put ink into the low parts of a plastic surface.

For teachers: to apply ink to the depressions of a textured plastic material during a specific finishing process.

- The factory had to spanish the plastic sheets to create the two-tone effect.
- The technician explained that to achieve the desired aesthetic, they would need to spanish the embossed vinyl after the initial molding.

Usage: Used primarily in industrial manufacturing and specialized printing contexts.

## Examples

- I am learning Spanish so I can travel to Mexico.
- The local library offers several classes for adults who want to improve their conversational Spanish before the summer holidays.
- While the grammar remains largely consistent across the globe, the Spanish spoken in Argentina features distinct phonetic patterns and vocabulary that differ significantly from the varieties found in Madrid or Mexico City.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.