British

[ brit-ish ]

adjective
  1. of or relating to Great Britain or its inhabitants.

  2. used especially by natives or inhabitants of Great Britain: In this dictionary, “Brit.” is an abbreviation for “British usage.”

noun
  1. the people native to or inhabiting Great Britain.

  1. the Celtic language of the ancient Britons.

Origin of British

1
before 900; Middle English Brittische,Old English Bryttisc, equivalent to Brytt(as) Britons + -isc--ish1; see Briton

Other words from British

  • Brit·ish·ly, adverb
  • Brit·ish·ness, noun
  • anti-British, adjective, noun
  • non-British, adjective
  • pre-British, adjective
  • pro-British, adjective

Words Nearby British

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use British in a sentence

  • Sweden excluded British goods, conformably to the continental system established by Bonaparte.

  • Behold a dumpy, comfortable British paterfamilias in a light flannel suit and a faded sun hat.

    God and my Neighbour | Robert Blatchford
  • Many British Ferns evidence a marked tendency to “sport,” and this is a fact which the beginner should always bear in mind.

    How to Know the Ferns | S. Leonard Bastin
  • The parliament house and library of the British provinces, at Montreal, burned by a mob.

  • Where the outside conditions are not very favourable, practically all the British species may be grown with ease under glass.

    How to Know the Ferns | S. Leonard Bastin

British Dictionary definitions for British

British

/ (ˈbrɪtɪʃ) /


adjective
  1. relating to, denoting, or characteristic of Britain or any of the natives, citizens, or inhabitants of the United Kingdom

  2. relating to or denoting the English language as spoken and written in Britain, esp the S dialect generally regarded as standard: See also Southern British English, Received Pronunciation

  1. relating to or denoting the ancient Britons

  2. of or relating to the Commonwealth: British subjects

noun
  1. (functioning as plural) the natives or inhabitants of Britain

  2. the extinct Celtic language of the ancient Britons: See also Brythonic

Derived forms of British

  • Britishness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012