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

See Examples For:

Birmingham

Her breakthrough came with My Name Is Leon, the story of a young boy in the care system growing up in 1980s Birmingham.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

An international team of researchers, including Dr. Anjali Piette, an astrophysicist at the University of Birmingham, reported the findings in The Astronomical Journal.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 27, 2026

For Birmingham mum Mandy Thomas, finding affordable costumes became essential when her daughters were younger.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026

Meanwhile, flights arriving from Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford, Cardiff, Manchester, Birmingham and Inverness have also been cancelled.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026

During Allen’s first year in Birmingham, Martin Luther King Jr. came to Selma, bringing national attention to the voting-rights campaign.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

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