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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.


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)

"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

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


Birmingham 2 Cultural  
  1. City in central England; England's second-largest city, after London, and an important industrial and transportation center.


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. (SeeLetter from Birmingham Jail.”)

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

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.

See Examples For:

Jos Buttler produced a masterful 90 from 50 balls as Manchester Super Giants demolished Birmingham Phoenix by 87 runs to maintain their perfect start to The Hundred.

From BBC Jul. 26, 2026

McColgan, 35, emulated mother Liz by roaring to gold in Birmingham four years ago in one of the most iconic moments of that event.

From BBC Jul. 25, 2026

Poster boy Duncan Scott started the rush, defending his 200m individual medley gold from Birmingham four years ago by slicing a chunk off his own Games record.

From BBC Jul. 24, 2026

“I think Gulf countries are beginning to realize that this war will continue for some time now,” said Umer Karim, a researcher focused on Saudi policy and Gulf geopolitics at the University of Birmingham.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 24, 2026

The CSS Birmingham captains quarters were about the size of a walk-in closet, but still much bigger than any other room on board.

From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan

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