British English

American  

noun

1. the English language as spoken and written in Great Britain, especially in southern England.

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Etymology

Origin of British English

First recorded in 1865–70

Compare meaning

How does british-english compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• British English vs. American English

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, Twitter users falsely claimed Apple iPads would display the message for any users who selected British English in their language settings.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 16, 2022

Obama’s use of British English makes Brits suspicious.

From Washington Post • Jan. 13, 2022

However, when you hear British English or English spoken with a French, German, or Slavic accent, you may notice the difference, but you also may make a different set of assumptions about those people.

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021

“I decided that the Nigerian had learned British English, which made it more distinct from the French-inflected Haitian dialect, who would more likely be speaking American English,” he said.

From New York Times • Jun. 3, 2020

Does Mr. Tucker so despise British English as never to read an English book?

From America To-day, Observations and Reflections by Archer, William