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

Parts of east Birmingham are a stark example of a national dilemma: why are so many working-age people currently out of work?

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

Sullivan and Gold had previously been co-owners of Birmingham City from 1993 to 2009.

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

There’s a route highlighted—broken up by circled spots with handwritten notes scribbled over them—that cuts straight across from the Georgia/Alabama line to Alabama’s midpoint in Birmingham, and then veers southwest to the state’s opposite border.

From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone