British Isles

American  

plural noun

1. a group of islands in W Europe: Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, and adjacent small islands. 120,592 sq. mi. (312,300 sq. km).

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British Isles British  

plural noun

1. a group of islands in W Europe, consisting of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Orkney, Shetland, the Channel Islands belonging to Great Britain, and the islands adjacent to these

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British Isles Cultural  

1. The islands of Great Britain and Ireland and a number of smaller islands off their coasts.

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Example Sentences

Values in the mid-30s were once uncommon in the British Isles even at the height of summer, yet we are now on course to reach those levels before June has even begun.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

The updated analysis confirmed that humans were present in the British Isles between 15,200 and 15,000 years ago.

From Science Daily • May 13, 2026

People moved back into the British Isles around 15,200 years ago after the last major ice sheet began retreating, according to new research.

From Science Daily • May 13, 2026

While he said he liked "the Manx passport being a bit different", he thought key wording should be clearer for countries outside of the British Isles to understand.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Around 300, an explorer named Pytheas sailed a ship through the Straits of Gibraltar, turned north, and circumnavigated the British Isles.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro