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

A lawyer educated in Britain and France, she has impressed visiting U.S. officials over elaborate dinners at a restored coffee hacienda in Caracas.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026

But families visiting the Welsh coast this summer could face some of the highest prices in Britain, with three Welsh destinations ranking among the UK's most expensive seaside spots for a cone.

From BBC • May 23, 2026

Other food crops were exported to Britain as Irish people starved.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

These days it’s the younger worker who moves to Dubai for lower taxes and then delays returning to Britain.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

France and Britain took no action to stop him.

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