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

Example Sentences

“It’s more the norm in Ireland and Great Britain — we all do shows at Edinburgh Fringe, and that’s where I honed that skill.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2026

America’s independence from Great Britain was also waged on the cultural front, and few authors in that struggle were more significant than James Fenimore Cooper.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026

Trade was also at issue in the War of 1812, when the U.S. sided with Napoleonic France in its death struggle with Great Britain.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

According to the researchers, the largest St Kilda wrens are more than twice the size of the smallest wrens found on mainland Great Britain.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2026

We call this land of ours Great Britain, and there may be those who believe this a somewhat immodest practice.

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro