Britain

American  

[brit-n] / ˈbrɪt n /

noun

1. Great Britain.

2. Britannia.

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Britain British  

/ ˈbrɪtən /

noun

1. another name for Great Britain United Kingdom

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Britain Cultural  

1. Officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, located on the British Isles off the western coast of the mainland (continent) of Europe. It comprises England, Wales, and Scotland on the island of Great Britain, and Northern Ireland on the island of Ireland. Its capital and largest city is London.

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It is one of the world's leading industrialized nations.

Most of the settlers of the American colonies were British. The colonies remained under the British crown until the American Revolutionary War.

Britain declared war on Germany in 1939. Allied with the United States and the Soviet Union, the British, under the leadership of Winston Churchill, played an important role in defeating Germany.

At the height of its imperial power in the late nineteenth century, Britain boasted colonies and possessions around the globe. (See British Empire.)

A constitutional monarchy, Britain's government calls for the hereditary king or queen to perform mostly ceremonial functions. Parliament governs the country.

Compare meaning

How does britain compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Britain vs. Great Britain
• Britain vs. England

Example Sentences

The son of Hungarians who emigrated to Britain, Hilton served as an advisor to Cameron before becoming an American citizen.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Teenager Mika Stojsavljevic stunned Talia Gibson, ranked more than 200 places above her, in straight sets to give Great Britain a 1-0 lead over Australia in the Billie Jean King Cup.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

He left Britain to live in North America with his wife and children.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

"As a young black girl growing up in Britain, I found possibility in stories long before I saw it in the world around me," she told the BBC.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

The best chance of getting it safely to Britain was to pack it in huge crates and send it by sea.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield