Britain

American  

[brit-n] / ˈbrɪt n /

noun

1. Great Britain.

2. Britannia.

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Britain British  

/ ˈbrɪtən /

noun

1. another name for Great Britain United Kingdom

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Britain Cultural  

1. Officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, located on the British Isles off the western coast of the mainland (continent) of Europe. It comprises England, Wales, and Scotland on the island of Great Britain, and Northern Ireland on the island of Ireland. Its capital and largest city is London.

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It is one of the world's leading industrialized nations.

Most of the settlers of the American colonies were British. The colonies remained under the British crown until the American Revolutionary War.

Britain declared war on Germany in 1939. Allied with the United States and the Soviet Union, the British, under the leadership of Winston Churchill, played an important role in defeating Germany.

At the height of its imperial power in the late nineteenth century, Britain boasted colonies and possessions around the globe. (See British Empire.)

A constitutional monarchy, Britain's government calls for the hereditary king or queen to perform mostly ceremonial functions. Parliament governs the country.

Compare meaning

How does britain compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Britain vs. Great Britain
• Britain vs. England

Example Sentences

"Together, we will build a stronger and fairer Britain," Sir Keir wrote in the post above the video.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

Britain is a good example of Europe’s broader woes: Families aren’t seeing their incomes grow, leaving them feeling left behind compared with the more dynamic economies of the U.S. and Asia.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

People thought to have contracted the virus are being treated or isolating in Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and South Africa.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

The company launched HBO Max in Germany, Italy, Britain and Ireland during the quarter.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

Laboratory tests revealed that the obsidian they used was brought from deposits on New Britain, an island 250 miles away.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari