Dutch

/dʌt͡ʃ/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang

adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: The people of the Netherlands, or one of certain ethnic groups descending from the people of the Netherlands.
  • Grammar: dutch is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: dutch language, anger, art, cultural dutchness.
  • Useful contrasts: non dutch person, economic diversification, economic resilience.
  • Usage evidence: Since neither one of us could afford to take the other to the movies, we went Dutch.

How to use "dutch"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dutch" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "dutch" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "dutch" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dutch" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "dutch" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "dutch language" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "dutch", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The people of the Netherlands, or one of certain ethnic groups descending from the people of the Netherlands. collective, plural, plural-only

    "The Dutch will vote on the matter next month."

  2. 2
    wife slang
  3. 3
    the West Germanic language of the Netherlands wordnet
  4. 4
    Afrikaner people (Cape Dutch). South-Africa, collective, derogatory, ethnic, offensive, plural, plural-only, slur
  5. 5
    the people of the Netherlands wordnet
Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    The Pennsylvania Dutch people. collective, plural, plural-only
Verb
  1. 1
    To treat cocoa beans or powder with an alkali solution to darken the color and lessen the bitterness of the flavor.

    "Dutch processed is made from cocoa beans that have been treated with an alkalized solution. You'll get a deeper color and a great chocolaty flavor, but more importantly, the process of Dutching the chocolate renders the powder neutral."

  2. 2
    Alternative letter-case form of Dutch (“treat cocoa with alkali”). alt-of

    "Natural cocoa has not been "dutched". I actually prefer the natural, but if you use it, be sure to increase the baking soda to compensate for the additional acid."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Of or pertaining to the Netherlands, the Dutch people or the Dutch language.
  2. 2
    Pertaining to Germanic-speaking peoples on the European continent, chiefly the Germans (especially established German-speaking communities in parts of the USA), or the Dutch; Teutonic; Germanic. archaic
  3. 3
    Substitute, inferior, ersatz. archaic, derogatory, obsolete
  4. 4
    Thrifty. dated
  5. 5
    Pertaining to Afrikaner culture (Cape Dutch). South-Africa, derogatory, ethnic, slur
Adjective
  1. 1
    of or relating to the Netherlands or its people or culture wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    The main language of the Netherlands, Flanders (i.e., the northern half of Belgium) and Suriname; Netherlandic.

    "By the time this mysterious knight died in the 1360s, his book was available in every European language, including Dutch, Gaelic, Czech, Catalan, and Walloon."

  2. 2
    German; the main language of the Holy Roman Empire (Germany, Austria, Alsace, Luxembourg). archaic
  3. 3
    A male given name, more often given as a nickname to someone of Dutch or German ancestry than as an official given name.

Synonyms

All synonyms
dutch languageangerartcultural dutchnessdutch canal watersdutch cheese

Antonyms

non dutch personeconomic diversificationeconomic resilienceforeign

Example

"Since neither one of us could afford to take the other to the movies, we went Dutch."

Common questions

What does "dutch" mean?

The people of the Netherlands, or one of certain ethnic groups descending from the people of the Netherlands.

What is a synonym for "dutch"?

Common synonyms include: dutch language, anger, art, cultural dutchness, dutch canal waters, dutch cheese.

How do you use "dutch" in a sentence?

Since neither one of us could afford to take the other to the movies, we went Dutch.

How do you pronounce "dutch"?

Pronounced /dʌt͡ʃ/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

PIE word *tewtéh₂ Derived from Middle English Duch (“German, Low German, Dutch”), from Middle Low German dütsch, düdesch (“German, Low German, Dutch”) and Middle Dutch dūtsch, dūtsc (“German, Low German, Dutch”), from Proto-West Germanic *þiudisk, from Proto-Germanic *þiudiskaz (“of one’s people”), derived from *þeudō (“people”), from Proto-Indo-European *tewtéh₂. Doublet of Deutsch and Doitsu. Compare Middle English thedisch (“native, endemic”) from Old English þēodisċ (“of one’s people”), Old Saxon thiudisk (German Low German düütsch (“German”)), Old High German diutisc (modern German deutsch (“German”)), modern Dutch Duits (“German”) alongside elevated Diets (“Dutch”) (a secondary distinction, fully accepted only in the 19th century). See also Derrick, Teuton, Teutonic. The pejorative senses (Dutch courage, Dutch wife, Dutch uncle, etc.) are said to stem from the Anglo-Dutch Wars and the accompanying rivalry.

Etymology 2

Clipping of duchess.

Etymology 3

See Dutch.

More for "dutch"

Synonyms

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