Britain

American  

[brit-n] / ˈbrɪt n /

noun

1. Great Britain.

2. Britannia.

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Britain British  

/ ˈbrɪtən /

noun

1. another name for Great Britain United Kingdom

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Britain Cultural  

1. Officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, located on the British Isles off the western coast of the mainland (continent) of Europe. It comprises England, Wales, and Scotland on the island of Great Britain, and Northern Ireland on the island of Ireland. Its capital and largest city is London.

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It is one of the world's leading industrialized nations.

Most of the settlers of the American colonies were British. The colonies remained under the British crown until the American Revolutionary War.

Britain declared war on Germany in 1939. Allied with the United States and the Soviet Union, the British, under the leadership of Winston Churchill, played an important role in defeating Germany.

At the height of its imperial power in the late nineteenth century, Britain boasted colonies and possessions around the globe. (See British Empire.)

A constitutional monarchy, Britain's government calls for the hereditary king or queen to perform mostly ceremonial functions. Parliament governs the country.

Compare meaning

How does britain compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Britain vs. England
• Britain vs. Great Britain

Example Sentences

He represented Great Britain at the Olympics as a rower after competing in the university Boat Race against Oxford as a student.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

It depicts Caesar Rodney, who cast a clinching vote in the 1776 US Declaration of Independence from Britain but is viewed critically by some because he owned slaves.

From Barron's • May 17, 2026

Sophie has been added to messaging lists where third parties advertise driving tests for sale around Britain for hundreds of pounds.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

Across Britain, over 146,000 claims were submitted for pothole-inflicted vehicle damage over the past five years, with councils paying out £13.5m in claims.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

Because the United States and Britain were now fighting together, Elizebeth turned to British code breakers for help.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield