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

See Examples For:

Britain

Taiwan is among a long list of aid partners invited to the Pacific meeting along with China, Singapore, Japan, Britain and the United States, which has brought a large delegation.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

He told the House of Commons that "Britain is not where we would wish it to be", but promised to "build a new sense of optimism around the country".

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

"I am now looking forward to continuing to make a real contribution to the Conservative team in Parliament and beyond, to build and amplify our vision for Britain, from the back benches."

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

As Canadians may also remember, Benjamin Franklin later argued that Britain should cede all of Quebec to the new nation, and he won that argument more than you might think.

From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026

"There are two people who want to talk to you about a high-level agent penetration of Britain."

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau