Britain

American  

[brit-n] / ˈbrɪt n /

noun

1. Great Britain.

2. Britannia.

---

Britain British  

/ ˈbrɪtən /

noun

1. another name for Great Britain United Kingdom

---

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.

---

Discover More

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. England
• Britain vs. Great Britain

Example Sentences

Keir Starmer, who took the post two years ago, ending 14 years of Tory rule, announced his resignation on Monday, almost 10 years to the day that Britain voted to leave the European Union.

From Slate • Jun. 23, 2026

Britain, France, Italy and Spain have issued red alerts and health warnings for much of their territory this week as the region endures its second heat episode since May.

From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026

Europe on Tuesday braced for more extreme weather as a deadly heatwave threatened fresh temperature records in Britain, with trains disrupted and hospitals across the continent preparing for an influx of heat-afflicted patients.

From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026

He said his successor would be inheriting a Britain that is stronger and fairer than two years ago.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026

Britain declared war on Germany, joining France and Russia.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman