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British Overseas Territory

American  
[brit-ish oh-ver-seez teri-taw-ree] / ˈbrɪt ɪʃ ˌoʊ vərˈsiz ˈtɛrɪˌtɔ ri /

noun

  1. a territory under the sovereignty of the United Kingdom, governed by its own local administration but not formally part of the United Kingdom.

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.

On the way back, the King will pay a visit to Bermuda, a British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Gibraltar, which is a British Overseas Territory, is a 2.6 square mile headland to the south of Spain.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2025

Avian influenza had already infected other seabirds and mammals on the British Overseas Territory, but scientists report gentoo and king penguins have now fallen victim, too.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2024

Islanders voted overwhelmingly in a 2013 referendum to remain a British Overseas Territory.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 19, 2024

In Europe’s last referendum on abortion, the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar voted in June to ease what remain extremely strict curbs.

From Reuters • Sep. 20, 2021

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.