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

In early 17th-century Britain, “fund” meant a source of goods or store of supply; it also meant the bottom or lowest part of something.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

The disgraced rapper had submitted Monday an application to travel to Britain, but it was refused on the grounds that his presence would not be conducive to the public good, a UK government source confirmed.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

Sir Keir had said that antisemitism was "abhorrent and must be confronted firmly wherever it appears", and that "everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe".

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

Bruce's catch is sold at auction in Peterhead before being transported around Britain and abroad.

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

They were named the Erebus and the Terror, and they were the two most celebrated ships in all of Great Britain.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler