Great Britain

American  

noun

1. an island of NW Europe, separated from the mainland by the English Channel and the North Sea: since 1707 the name has applied politically to England, Scotland, and Wales. 88,139 sq. mi. (228,280 sq. km).

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Great Britain British  

noun

1. England, Wales, and Scotland including those adjacent islands governed from the mainland (i.e. excluding the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands). The United Kingdom of Great Britain was formed by the Act of Union (1707), although the term Great Britain had been in use since 1603, when James VI of Scotland became James I of England (including Wales). Later unions created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801) and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1922). Pop: 57 851 100 (2003 est). Area: 229 523 sq km (88 619 sq miles) See also United Kingdom

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Compare meaning

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

• Great Britain vs. United Kingdom
• England vs. Great Britain
• Britain vs. Great Britain

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Great Britain

Matt Richardson has been withdrawn from the Great Britain squad for this week's World Track Cycling Championships in Shanghai amid reports he is under investigation for misconduct.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

What followed was a trailblazing career spanning more than two decades, which has seen her play for the elite Kingston Diamonds based in Hull, and the Great Britain women's national team.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

Great Britain of the early 1950s is still struggling to recover from the catastrophe of World War II in Kate Atkinson’s workplace comedy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Sonay Kartal and Katie Boulter lost their respective singles matches as Great Britain were beaten by a strong Czech Republic side in the Billie Jean King Cup quarter-finals.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Even before the war, a third of all homes in Great Britain alone had a record player.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

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