British English

Save This Word!

noun

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

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also called British.

Origin of British English

First recorded in 1865–70

Words nearby British English

British Council, British disease, British dollar, British East Africa, British Empire, British English, Britisher, British Guiana, British gum, British Honduras, British India

How to use British English in a sentence

Andrew still plans to fly to Davos in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum on January 21, representing the British government.
From Playboy Prince to Dirty Old Man?|Tom Sykes|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It is the steady accretion of detail that may yet be the most damaging factor in the battle for British hearts and minds.
From Playboy Prince to Dirty Old Man?|Tom Sykes|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
His first language was Russian, then he learned Swedish, but chooses to perform in monosyllabic broken English.
The Cult of Yung Lean: ‘I’m Building An Anarchistic Society From the Ground Up’|Marlow Stern|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But I had won the British Award, Best Foreign Actor, so I went.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Jourdan Dunn is the first sole black woman to feature on a British ‘Vogue’ cover in 12 years.
One Vogue Cover Doesn’t Solve Fashion’s Big Race Problem|Danielle Belton|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Sweden excluded British goods, conformably to the continental system established by Bonaparte.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Behold a dumpy, comfortable British paterfamilias in a light flannel suit and a faded sun hat.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
Many British Ferns evidence a marked tendency to “sport,” and this is a fact which the beginner should always bear in mind.
How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin
Thomas Cooper, an English prelate, died; highly commended for his great learning and eloquence.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
The parliament house and library of the British provinces, at Montreal, burned by a mob.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell