Great Britain

American  

noun

1. an island of NW Europe, separated from the mainland by the English Channel and the North Sea: since 1707 the name has applied politically to England, Scotland, and Wales. 88,139 sq. mi. (228,280 sq. km).

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Great Britain British  

noun

1. England, Wales, and Scotland including those adjacent islands governed from the mainland (i.e. excluding the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands). The United Kingdom of Great Britain was formed by the Act of Union (1707), although the term Great Britain had been in use since 1603, when James VI of Scotland became James I of England (including Wales). Later unions created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801) and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1922). Pop: 57 851 100 (2003 est). Area: 229 523 sq km (88 619 sq miles) See also United Kingdom

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Compare meaning

How does great-britain compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Great Britain vs. United Kingdom
• England vs. Great Britain
• Britain vs. Great Britain

Example Sentences

Great Britain then made the decisive break in the ninth game before Burrage held her nerve to secure the win.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

Reedie was an international badminton player, representing Great Britain in the 1960s, and subsequently led the Scottish Badminton Union.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

The Pennsylvanischer Staatsbote probably learned that the Continental Congress had severed ties with Great Britain from a source in the shop of John Dunlap, who had a contract to print the body’s resolutions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Compared with buying a stock portfolio, prediction markets would have been a much cleaner way to hedge against Great Britain leaving the EU by giving direct exposure to the question, “Will Brexit happen?”

From Barron's • Mar. 28, 2026

King Liholiho Kamehameha II and Queen Kamamalu of Hawai'i visited Great Britain on a diplomatic mission in 1824.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann