United Kingdom

American  

noun

1. a kingdom in NW Europe, consisting of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: formerly comprising Great Britain and Ireland 1801–1922. 94,242 sq. mi. (244,100 sq. km). London. U.K.

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United Kingdom British  

noun

1. UK. a kingdom of NW Europe, consisting chiefly of the island of Great Britain together with Northern Ireland: became the world's leading colonial power in the 18th century; the first country to undergo the Industrial Revolution. It became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1921, after the rest of Ireland became autonomous as the Irish Free State. Primarily it is a trading nation, the chief exports being manufactured goods; joined the Common Market (now the European Union) in January 1973. Official language: English; Gaelic, Welsh, and other minority languages. Religion: Christian majority. Currency: pound sterling. Capital: London. Pop: 63 395 574 (2013 est). Area: 244 110 sq km (94 251 sq miles) See also Great Britain

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United Kingdom Cultural  

1. Part of the official name of the British nation; the full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It includes England, Scotland, Wales, and six counties of Ireland, ruled by the king or queen of England, and represented in the nation's parliament.

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Compare meaning

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

• Great Britain vs. United Kingdom

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

United Kingdom

"While the letter did not actually contain any information specifically related to security matters, it did contain a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom," it said.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

The findings, published in Nature Geoscience, could also have important consequences for winter weather in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 26, 2026

London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed Saturday that it received a letter in January 2019 containing allegations of offending outside the United Kingdom.

From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026

"She was able to say she was in good health, but being 81, things aren't getting any better," said Aris, who lives in the United Kingdom.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

The Daily Mail, in the United Kingdom, even illustrated the report with a photo of a kilt, explaining that a kilt is “the national dress of Scotland.”

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

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