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).

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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

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British Isles Cultural  

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

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Example Sentences

Jersey was the first part of the British Isles to ban smacking in April 2020.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

The updated analysis confirmed that humans were present in the British Isles between 15,200 and 15,000 years ago.

From Science Daily • May 13, 2026

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

From Science Daily • May 13, 2026

On Monday, the price of unleaded fuel in Alderney was £2.30 per litre, and diesel was £2.58, making it one of the most expensive places to buy petrol in the British Isles.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Britain relied on its navy to safeguard the trade routes that brought riches to the small, densely populated British Isles and helped feed the British people.

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