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British
[ brit-ish ]
adjective
- of or relating to Great Britain or its inhabitants.
- used especially by natives or inhabitants of Great Britain:
In this dictionary, “Brit.” is an abbreviation for “British usage.”
noun
- the people native to or inhabiting Great Britain.
- the Celtic language of the ancient Britons.
British
/ ˈbrɪtɪʃ /
adjective
- relating to, denoting, or characteristic of Britain or any of the natives, citizens, or inhabitants of the United Kingdom
- 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
- relating to or denoting the ancient Britons
- of or relating to the Commonwealth
British subjects
noun
- functioning as plural the natives or inhabitants of Britain
- the extinct Celtic language of the ancient Britons See also Brythonic
Derived Forms
- ˈBritishness, noun
Other Words From
- British·ly adverb
- British·ness noun
- anti-British adjective noun
- non-British adjective
- pre-British adjective
- pro-British adjective
Word History and Origins
Example Sentences
It came to be known as the Carrington Event, named after British astronomer Richard Carrington, who witnessed intensely bright patches of light in the sky and recorded what he saw.
Both clumsy plots inflamed British public opinion against the American cause.
He supposes it’s because Americans just perceive British people that way.
The vaccine developed by Novavax was nearly 90 percent effective in a British trial, but that protection fell to about 50 percent in South Africa.
The British filmmaker Adam Curtis may work for the BBC, a bastion of the British elite, but over a decades-long career, he has cemented himself as a cult favorite.
Andrew still plans to fly to Davos in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum on January 21, representing the British government.
It is the steady accretion of detail that may yet be the most damaging factor in the battle for British hearts and minds.
But I had won the British Award, Best Foreign Actor, so I went.
Jourdan Dunn is the first sole black woman to feature on a British ‘Vogue’ cover in 12 years.
When it was announced that Jourdan Dunn would be the first black model to cover British Vogue in twelve years it made me sad.
Sweden excluded British goods, conformably to the continental system established by Bonaparte.
Behold a dumpy, comfortable British paterfamilias in a light flannel suit and a faded sun hat.
Many British Ferns evidence a marked tendency to “sport,” and this is a fact which the beginner should always bear in mind.
The parliament house and library of the British provinces, at Montreal, burned by a mob.
Where the outside conditions are not very favourable, practically all the British species may be grown with ease under glass.
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More About British
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.
Where does British come from?
The first records of British come from before 900. It ultimately comes from the Old English Bryttisc, which was an equivalent of the word Bryttas, meaning Britons.
While it is correct to refer to people from England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland as British, people from the UK identify more closely with their regions. People from England are English, people from Wales are Welsh, people from Scotland are Scottish, and people from Northern Ireland are Northern Irish or just Irish.
The situation is more complex in Northern Ireland, which isn’t located on the island of Great Britain. Instead it is located across the Irish Sea, sharing the island of Ireland with the Republic of Ireland. In Northern Ireland, people use three different terms to identify themselves: British, Northern Irish, or Irish. The terms Irish and British are used to legally refer to a person’s citizenship in Northern Ireland.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to British?
- Britishness (noun)
- Britishly (adjective)
- anti-British (adjective, noun)
- non-British (adjective)
- pro-British (adjective)
- pre-British (adjective)
What are some words that share a root or word element with British?
What are some words that often get used in discussing British?
What are some words British may be commonly confused with?
How is British used in real life?
British is a common word that most often describes something as being related to the island of Great Britain or the country of the United Kingdom.
Let’s get Brexit done and deliver on the priorities of the British people.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) December 6, 2019
Real face of mummified warrior revealed at British Museum | British Museum | The Guardian https://t.co/L8BaZYeGdP
— Hernan Cortes (@CyberPunkCortes) February 2, 2021
Good old British weather. I’ve gone from shorts to a winter jacket today!
— Tony Shepherd (@tonysheps) April 22, 2018
Try using British!
Which of the following places would NOT be described as British?
A. Scotland
B. United Kingdom
C. Northern Ireland
D. United States
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