British

American  

[brit-ish] / ˈbrɪt ɪʃ /

adjective

1. of or relating to Great Britain or its inhabitants.

2. used especially by natives or inhabitants of Great Britain.

   In this dictionary, “Brit.” is an abbreviation for “British usage.”

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noun

1. the people native to or inhabiting Great Britain.

2. British English.

3. the Celtic language of the ancient Britons.

British British  

/ ˈbrɪtɪʃ /

adjective

1. relating to, denoting, or characteristic of Britain or any of the natives, citizens, or inhabitants of the United Kingdom

2. relating to or denoting the English language as spoken and written in Britain, esp the S dialect generally regarded as standard See also Southern British English Received Pronunciation

3. relating to or denoting the ancient Britons

4. of or relating to the Commonwealth

   British subjects

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noun

1. (functioning as plural) the natives or inhabitants of Britain

2. the extinct Celtic language of the ancient Britons See also Brythonic

Usage

What does British mean? British is used as an adjective to describe something as coming from or being related to the island of Great Britain or the people who live there, as in We drove through the British countryside. British is also used as a noun to mean the people of Great Britain, usually as “the British.”Great Britain, often referred to as just Britain, is a large island located off the northwest coast of continental Europe. It is made up of England, Wales, and Scotland, which are part of the United Kingdom (UK). There is no country called Great Britain. The name is used only to refer to the physical island. However, the United Kingdom is often referred to as Great Britain or Britain, even though the UK also includes Northern Ireland. For this reason, the word British is often used to refer to things related to the island or the people who live there, as in The exciting tennis match was covered by the British media. In a related sense, British is used as a noun to refer to the people who live or have lived on the island of Great Britain, as in The movie was more popular with the British than it was with Americans. Example: The British people are proud of their island home. 

Other Word Forms

• Britishly adverb
• Britishness noun
• anti-British adjective
• non-British adjective
• pre-British adjective
• pro-British adjective

Etymology

Origin of British

before 900; Middle English Brittische, Old English Bryttisc, equivalent to Brytt ( as ) Britons + -isc- -ish ¹; see Briton

Example Sentences

Galifianakis, who lives remotely in British Columbia and has been gardening “off and on” for 25 years, is no Monty Don.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Reprieve deputy chief executive Dan Dolan said: "This important intervention should be a wake-up call for the UK government, which is not doing nearly enough to help this young British man."

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

"I didn't even move for the English when they colonised us," she told AFP through a toothless smile, a year after the army broke the siege, and 70 after the British occupation of Khartoum ended.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

Born in the United Kingdom to Hungarian parents, he attended college in London and served as a reserve intelligence soldier in the British military.

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026

“Take us to the British Museum,” she ordered the coachman.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood