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

Mr. Farage, who at other times presents himself as something of a free-marketeer, presumably is smart enough to understand Britain can’t afford this.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Britain meanwhile has secured a deal allowing UK-made medicines tariff-free access to the United States for three years as part of a broader pact, the US Trade Representative's office said.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

Appeared in the April 3, 2026, print edition as 'Why Britain Can’t Afford a Navy'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Britain initially refused access to US warplanes but later changed tack, saying bases could be used for "defensive operations."

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

So along with a rivalry to grab overseas colonies, Britain and Germany engaged in a costly competition to build bigger and better battleships.

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