England

American  

[ing-gluhnd, -luhnd] / ˈɪŋ glənd, -lənd /

noun

1. the largest division of the United Kingdom, constituting, with Scotland and Wales, the island of Great Britain. 50,327 sq. mi. (130,347 sq. km) London.

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England British  

/ ˈɪŋɡlənd /

noun

1. the largest division of Great Britain, bordering on Scotland and Wales: unified in the mid-tenth century and conquered by the Normans in 1066; united with Wales in 1536 and Scotland in 1707; monarchy overthrown in 1649 but restored in 1660. Capital: London. Pop: 49 855 700 (2003 est). Area: 130 439 sq km (50 352 sq miles) See United Kingdom Great Britain

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England Cultural  

1. One of the countries of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. London, Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester are in England.

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Usage

What is England? England is one of the divisions that make up the country of the United Kingdom. England is the largest and most populous of the four divisions.While England is sometimes referred to as a country, it is actually part of the sovereign nation known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly shortened to the United Kingdom or UK), along with Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.England is by far the most populous of the four divisions, having over 56 million people in 2019. The next largest division, Scotland, had approximately 5.4 million people living there in 2019. England is also the largest in geographic size, being nearly 20,000 square miles larger than next-biggest, Scotland. England makes up most of the southern half of the island of Great Britain, with Wales located to its west and Scotland to its north.The word England is often mistakenly used to refer to the whole of the UK. As well, the division between the national government of the UK and the regional government of England is much less clear than the same divisions for Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. While the other three enjoy some degree of self-governance, England rarely does.

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The king or queen of England is the king or queen of the United Kingdom.

The name England is often used to refer to all of Great Britain.

Compare meaning

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

• England vs. New England
• England vs. Great Britain
• Britain vs. England

Example Sentences

In England through much of the 20th century, conversion was tolerated—especially if you were creative—but sometimes scorned.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Forestry England project lead, Hayley Dauben, said the animals would bring "lots of good benefits" to the Ehen and Calder catchment area.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

I even went on CNN and BBC Radio to talk about the adventure Google’s Gemini sent me on to Saltburn-by-the-Sea in northeast England.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Forestry England project lead Hayley Dauben said beavers were wanted on rivers because of the "habitats they create".

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Peter told me later that when he had left England and gone back to Canada, they just had not sent my letters on.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo