Birmingham

American  

[bur-ming-uhm, bur-ming-ham] / ˈbɜr mɪŋ əm, ˈbɜr mɪŋˌhæm /

noun

1. a city in West Midlands, in central England.

2. a city in central Alabama.

3. a city in SE Michigan, near Detroit.

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Birmingham British  

/ ˈbɜːmɪŋəm /

noun

1. an industrial city in central England, in Birmingham unitary authority, in the West Midlands: the second largest city in Great Britain; two cathedrals; three universities (1900, 1966, 1992). Pop: 970 892 (2001) informal Brummie

2. a unitary authority in central England, in the West Midlands. Pop: 992 100 (2003 est). Area: 283 sq km (109 sq miles)

3. an industrial city in N central Alabama: rich local deposits of coal, iron ore, and other minerals. Pop: 236 620 (2003 est)

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Birmingham ¹ Cultural  

1. City in north-central Alabama; largest city in the state.

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Birmingham ² Cultural  

1. City in central England; England's second-largest city, after London, and an important industrial and transportation center.

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Discover More

Birmingham was the site of extreme racial violence during the civil rights movement. Although associated with specific race riots in 1963, Birmingham came to represent, as a whole, southern white resistance to integration. (See “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”)

Birmingham is known as the “Pittsburgh of the South” for its steel and iron production.

Example Sentences

Last week, we were invited to join Mahmood on police raids of mini-marts on Soho Road in the Handsworth area of Birmingham - a high street bordering her own constituency.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

The trial concluded in January and a jury found Philips, now living in Birmingham, had carried out the offences.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

The King's Trust - formerly known as the Prince's Trust - is supporting a number of people aged 11 to 30 in Birmingham to build confidence, get a job or launch a business.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have developed a new low-temperature approach to hydrogen production that could make the clean fuel cheaper and more practical to generate.

From Science Daily • Jun. 2, 2026

Mr. Hinton was wrongly convicted of two robbery-murders outside Birmingham after state forensic employees mistakenly concluded that a gun recovered from his mother's home had been used in the crimes.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson