British

[brit-ish]

adjective

of or relating to Great Britain or its inhabitants.

used especially by natives or inhabitants of Great Britain: In this dictionary, “Brit.” is an abbreviation for “British usage.”

noun

the people native to or inhabiting Great Britain.

British English.

the Celtic language of the ancient Britons.

Origin of British

before 900; Middle English Brittische, Old English Bryttisc, equivalent to Brytt(as) Britons + -isc- -ish¹; see Briton

Related formsBrit·ish·ly, adverbBrit·ish·ness, nounan·ti-Brit·ish, adjective, nounnon-Brit·ish, adjectivepre-Brit·ish, adjectivepro-Brit·ish, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for pro-british

Contemporary Examples of pro-british

She was from a wealthy and socially prominent New York family who were pro-British.
The Fight Over America’s Entrance to WWII
Sandra McElwaine
April 7, 2013

Historical Examples of pro-british

With all of his anti-American and pro-British ideas he leaped upon it.
The Personality of American Cities
Edward Hungerford
As for the Arab officers, they were whole-heartedly pro-British.
Eastern Nights - and Flights
Alan Bott
From the first the Indians of the Northwest were pro-British.
The Land of the Miamis
Elmore Barce
I had not up to then met so thoroughly pro-British an enemy.
A Prisoner in Turkey
John Still
They think I am hopelessly pro-British and that I am being used.
The Life and Letters of Walter H. Page, Volume II
Burton J. Hendrick

British Dictionary definitions for pro-british

pro-British

adjective

in favour of or supporting Britain, its people, culture, etc

British

adjective

relating to, denoting, or characteristic of Britain or any of the natives, citizens, or inhabitants of the United Kingdom

relating to or denoting the English language as spoken and written in Britain, esp the S dialect generally regarded as standardSee also Southern British English, Received Pronunciation

relating to or denoting the ancient Britons

of or relating to the CommonwealthBritish subjects

noun

(functioning as plural) the natives or inhabitants of Britain

the extinct Celtic language of the ancient BritonsSee also Brythonic

Derived FormsBritishness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for pro-british

British

adj.

Old English Bryttisc "of or relating to (ancient) Britons," from Bryttas "natives of ancient Britain" (see Briton). First modern record of British Isles is from 1620s.