Black Country

American

noun

a district in the English Midlands, around Birmingham: so called from the soot and grime produced by the many local industries.

Black Country British

noun

the formerly heavily industrialized region of central England, northwest of Birmingham

"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.

The Black Country assistant coroner Helena Gallagher gave a narrative conclusion, noting the 73-year-old's death was contributed to by neglect in the medical treatment she received at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026

Staff from the Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said they have stepped in, in Wolverhampton, to help people living with little or no food in their homes.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

The band performed alongside a loose crew of like-minded acts like Black Country, New Road, Shame and Squid who were experimenting with noise, free jazz and textured art-rock, centered around the Brixton venue the Windmill.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2026

Some scenes from the series were filmed at the Black Country Living Museum, 12 miles away from Birmingham, including at its boat dock, which was Charlie Strong's Yard.

From BBC • Oct. 19, 2025

‘Ah, I remember, I heard you were in the Black Country.’

From Crying for the Light, Vol. 2 [of 3] or Fifty Years Ago by Ritchie, J. Ewing (James Ewing)

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