Britain
Americannoun
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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.
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Abbie Donnelly wins the bronze medal in the women's marathon, with Great Britain also winning a gold medal in the team event, on the final day of the 2026 European Championships in Birmingham.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
In 2011, Britain changed its succession laws to allow first-born daughters of a monarch to inherit the throne.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
She achieved international fame that decade with the release of her "Total Eclipse" mega-hit, which topped the charts in the United States and Britain.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
Arday's memoir -- "Great and Unfortunate Things" -- had been published in the United States the previous day, ahead of its planned release in Britain later this month.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Because the United States and Britain were now fighting together, Elizebeth turned to British code breakers for help.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
