United Kingdom

American  

noun

1. a kingdom in NW Europe, consisting of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: formerly comprising Great Britain and Ireland 1801–1922. 94,242 sq. mi. (244,100 sq. km). London. U.K.

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United Kingdom British  

noun

1.  UK.  a kingdom of NW Europe, consisting chiefly of the island of Great Britain together with Northern Ireland: became the world's leading colonial power in the 18th century; the first country to undergo the Industrial Revolution. It became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1921, after the rest of Ireland became autonomous as the Irish Free State. Primarily it is a trading nation, the chief exports being manufactured goods; joined the Common Market (now the European Union) in January 1973. Official language: English; Gaelic, Welsh, and other minority languages. Religion: Christian majority. Currency: pound sterling. Capital: London. Pop: 63 395 574 (2013 est). Area: 244 110 sq km (94 251 sq miles) See also Great Britain

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United Kingdom Cultural  

1. Part of the official name of the British nation; the full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It includes England, Scotland, Wales, and six counties of Ireland, ruled by the king or queen of England, and represented in the nation's parliament.

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Compare meaning

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

• Great Britain vs. United Kingdom

Example Sentences

A similar heatwave would have been 3.5C cooler during the day in June 1976, concluded the study by scientists from Europe, the United States and the United Kingdom.

From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026

The United Kingdom on Thursday came one step closer to getting a new Prime Minister as Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham won a by-election to re-enter Parliament.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026

About one in five adults in the United Kingdom has either diabetes or prediabetes.

From Science Daily • Jun. 14, 2026

The research surveyed 6,000 digital workers across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia between December and January.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026

Back home in the United Kingdom, food, clothes, coal, gas, and electricity were in such short supply they had to be rationed.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein