Birmingham

American  

[bur-ming-uhm, bur-ming-ham] / ˈbɜr mɪŋ əm, ˈbɜr mɪŋˌhæm /

noun

1. a city in West Midlands, in central England.

2. a city in central Alabama.

3. a city in SE Michigan, near Detroit.

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Birmingham British  

/ ˈbɜːmɪŋəm /

noun

1. an industrial city in central England, in Birmingham unitary authority, in the West Midlands: the second largest city in Great Britain; two cathedrals; three universities (1900, 1966, 1992). Pop: 970 892 (2001) informal Brummie

2. a unitary authority in central England, in the West Midlands. Pop: 992 100 (2003 est). Area: 283 sq km (109 sq miles)

3. an industrial city in N central Alabama: rich local deposits of coal, iron ore, and other minerals. Pop: 236 620 (2003 est)

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Birmingham ¹ Cultural  

1. City in north-central Alabama; largest city in the state.

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Birmingham ² Cultural  

1. City in central England; England's second-largest city, after London, and an important industrial and transportation center.

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Discover More

Birmingham was the site of extreme racial violence during the civil rights movement. Although associated with specific race riots in 1963, Birmingham came to represent, as a whole, southern white resistance to integration. (See “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”)

Birmingham is known as the “Pittsburgh of the South” for its steel and iron production.

Example Sentences

Sullivan has been the largest single shareholder of West Ham since 2010 and before that co-owned Birmingham City for more than 15 years.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

The King's Trust - formerly known as the Prince's Trust - is supporting a number of people aged 11 to 30 in Birmingham to build confidence, get a job or launch a business.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

Theresa Blair, 24, from Birmingham, graduated from Aston University in 2025 with a pharmacy masters.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have developed a new low-temperature approach to hydrogen production that could make the clean fuel cheaper and more practical to generate.

From Science Daily • Jun. 2, 2026

Two sixty-inch giants were on their way, one under construction by Merle Tuve at the Carnegie Institution; another by Mark Oliphant at England’s University of Birmingham.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik