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

Former Great Britain men's captain Paul Sculthorpe, retiring England women's skipper Jodie Cunningham and international great Adrian Morley will be among those helping to put together that plan.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

For the men, that ends a run that began with Great Britain at the first tournament in 1954.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

The Welsh government said that despite making up 10% of the rail network across Great Britain, just 1% of Network Rail's spending goes to Wales.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

Some of that "trouble" comes from within the Great Britain squad.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

The United States was already on the verge of war with Great Britain, and this development was cause for more alarm.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

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