Bedfordshire

American

[bed-ferd-sheer, -sher] / ˈbɛd fərdˌʃɪər, -ʃər /

noun

a county in central England. 477 sq. mi. (1,235 sq. km).

Bedfordshire British

/ -ʃə, ˈbɛdfədˌʃɪə /

noun

Beds. a county of S central England, administered since 2009 by the unitary authorities of Bedford and Central Bedfordshire: mainly low-lying, with the Chiltern Hills in the south: the geographical county includes Luton, which became a separate unitary authority in 1997. Area (excluding Luton): 1192 sq km (460 sq miles)

"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

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.

With less than 5% of average rainfall widely across Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire, both places have experienced one of their driest Aprils on record.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

The defence argued an accident was always likely to happen and that O'Sullivan, of Wixams, Bedfordshire, was failed by the smart motorway system.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

Ireland, of Wingate Drive, Ampthill, Bedfordshire, was charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

Noah Campbell died in a collision between a car, a bike and a scooter in Flitwick, Bedfordshire, at 23:50 BST on Friday.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

Miss Bedfordshire pointed at the corner of the page.

From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023