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.

"My daughter Amelia has a condition meaning she can't regulate her body temperature – she was going unresponsive in the classroom last summer," says Bedfordshire mum Victoria Everitt.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026

The intensive care nurse, from Bedfordshire, held an ambulance technician's hand the entire way to hospital and begged him to save her life.

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026

Once the attraction opens, it said a further 8,000 jobs would be created and about 80% of those roles would go to people from Bedfordshire and surrounding areas.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

The US entertainment giant said it would invest £5bn in building the resort, in Kempston Hardwick, Bedfordshire, with a further £1bn planned over its first 10 years.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Miss Bedfordshire had always had a soft spot for Alex.

From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz

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