Crown Dependency

American  

[kraun-di-pen-duhn-see] / ˈkraʊn dɪˈpɛn dən si /

noun

plural

Crown Dependencies

1. a legally independent territory that relies on the British government for a limited number of essential functions, such as defense and some aspects of foreign policy; one of the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey, and the Isle of Man.

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Example Sentences

Thousands more sites are thought to be contaminated across Europe, and the Crown Dependency of Jersey has become a focal point for efforts to tackle the impacts.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2025

Alderney, a British Crown Dependency and part of the Channel Islands, has an independent president and a 10-member parliament.

From New York Times • Mar. 1, 2024

Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands and a self-governing British Crown Dependency near the coast of northern France.

From Seattle Times • May 6, 2021

While the Isle of Man is not part of the EU, it is a British Crown Dependency and forms a common area with the UK for VAT purposes.

From BBC • Nov. 6, 2017

Jersey, a 45-square-mile island off the coast of Normandy in France but a British Crown Dependency through a quirk of medieval history, sits outside the United Kingdom and the European Union.

From Reuters • Nov. 18, 2012