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

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

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

Although the comet reached peak brightness on April 22, 1066, it was not visible in Brittany and the British Isles until April 24.

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

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

By the time Victoria was seventeen, and Tristran also, she was in all probability, he was certain, the most beautiful girl in the British Isles.

From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman