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. England
• Britain vs. Great Britain

Example Sentences

Painted rock art discovered in a Welsh cave has been confirmed to be the oldest in Britain.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

Britain abandoned a scheme to deport undocumented migrants to Rwanda, while Italian-run facilities to process migrants in Albania have faced legal challenges and a slow uptake.

From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026

I was a teenager in Britain during the nation’s celebration of the 25th jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 1977.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

And not only central Europe – they also spread across the English Channel and throughout Britain, extending as far north as Orkney.

From Science Daily • May 30, 2026

"There are two people who want to talk to you about a high-level agent penetration of Britain."

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau