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).

---

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

---

British Isles Cultural  

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

---

Example Sentences

Jersey was the first part of the British Isles to ban smacking in April 2020.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 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

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

As he galloped across the British Isles with the helicopters thundering above him, people stood and gaped and wondered what on earth was going on.

From "The BFG" by Roald Dahl