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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).


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

"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

British Isles Cultural  
  1. The islands of Great Britain and Ireland and a number of smaller islands off their coasts.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Jersey still remains the only place in the British Isles to charge tax on its sanitary products.

From BBC Jul. 22, 2026

Oral traditions linked them to famine, war, and the deaths of kings throughout the British Isles.

From Science Daily May 13, 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

But many seasoned staycationers are already aware of all the UK has to offer and some have told BBC News what they love about exploring the British Isles.

From BBC May 8, 2026

As he galloped across the British Isles with the helicopters thundering above him, people stood and gaped and wondered what on earth was going on.

From "The BFG" by Roald Dahl

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