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.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

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

Along my journey over my 30 years as a manager, I was made aware that this tradition was only really observed in the British Isles, and not in mainland Europe.

From BBC • May 15, 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

They were convinced that they could force Britain to abandon the war by disrupting Allied shipping before vessels could reach the British Isles.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman