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

See Examples For:

Great Britain

"This moment means a lot to me," says the weightlifter, who won European bronze for Great Britain earlier this year.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

The BBC has asked whether it is planning new rules in Northern Ireland in light of the new proposals for Great Britain.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

How did Great Britain, possessing both an empire on which the sun never set and the greatest navy the world had ever seen, lose to ragamuffin American rebels?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

“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

The United States accounted for 125 of these; the Russians, 44; and Great Britain, 21.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik