The meaning of the word british

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  • British

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.

the Celtic language of the ancient Britons.

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Origin of British

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

OTHER WORDS FROM British

Brit·ish·ly, adverbBrit·ish·ness, nounanti-British, adjective, nounnon-British, adjective

pre-British, adjectivepro-British, adjective

Words nearby British

britches, Britcom, Brith, Brith Milah, Briticism, British, British America, British Antarctic Territory, British Association screw thread, British Broadcasting Corporation, British Cameroons

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT BRITISH

What does British mean?

British is used as an adjective to describe something as coming from or being related to the island of Great Britain or the people who live there, as in We drove through the British countryside.

British is also used as a noun to mean the people of Great Britain, usually as “the British.”

Great Britain, often referred to as just Britain, is a large island located off the northwest coast of continental Europe. It is made up of England, Wales, and Scotland, which are part of the United Kingdom (UK). There is no country called Great Britain. The name is used only to refer to the physical island.

However, the United Kingdom is often referred to as Great Britain or Britain, even though the UK also includes Northern Ireland. For this reason, the word British is often used to refer to things related to the island or the people who live there, as in The exciting tennis match was covered by the British media.

In a related sense, British is used as a noun to refer to the people who live or have lived on the island of Great Britain, as in The movie was more popular with the British than it was with Americans.

Example: The British people are proud of their island home. 

Where does British come from?

The first records of British come from before 900. It ultimately comes from the Old English Bryttisc, which was an equivalent of the word Bryttas, meaning Britons.

While it is correct to refer to people from England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland as British, people from the UK identify more closely with their regions. People from England are English, people from Wales are Welsh, people from Scotland are Scottish, and people from Northern Ireland are Northern Irish or just Irish.

The situation is more complex in Northern Ireland, which isn’t located on the island of Great Britain. Instead it is located across the Irish Sea, sharing the island of Ireland with the Republic of Ireland. In Northern Ireland, people use three different terms to identify themselves: British, Northern Irish, or Irish. The terms Irish and British are used to legally refer to a person’s citizenship in Northern Ireland.

Did you know … ?

How is British used in real life?

British is a common word that most often describes something as being related to the island of Great Britain or the country of the United Kingdom.

Let’s get Brexit done and deliver on the priorities of the British people.

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) December 6, 2019

Real face of mummified warrior revealed at British Museum | British Museum | The Guardian https://t.co/L8BaZYeGdP

— Hernan Cortes (@CyberPunkCortes) February 2, 2021

Good old British weather. I’ve gone from shorts to a winter jacket today!

— Tony Shepherd (@tonysheps) April 22, 2018

Try using British!

Which of the following places would NOT be described as British?

A. Scotland
B. United Kingdom
C. Northern Ireland
D. United States

How to use British in a sentence

  • It came to be known as the Carrington Event, named after British astronomer Richard Carrington, who witnessed intensely bright patches of light in the sky and recorded what he saw.

  • Both clumsy plots inflamed British public opinion against the American cause.

  • He supposes it’s because Americans just perceive British people that way.

  • The vaccine developed by Novavax was nearly 90 percent effective in a British trial, but that protection fell to about 50 percent in South Africa.

  • The British filmmaker Adam Curtis may work for the BBC, a bastion of the British elite, but over a decades-long career, he has cemented himself as a cult favorite.

  • Andrew still plans to fly to Davos in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum on January 21, representing the British government.

  • It is the steady accretion of detail that may yet be the most damaging factor in the battle for British hearts and minds.

  • But I had won the British Award, Best Foreign Actor, so I went.

  • Jourdan Dunn is the first sole black woman to feature on a British ‘Vogue’ cover in 12 years.

  • When it was announced that Jourdan Dunn would be the first black model to cover British Vogue in twelve years it made me sad.

  • Sweden excluded British goods, conformably to the continental system established by Bonaparte.

  • Behold a dumpy, comfortable British paterfamilias in a light flannel suit and a faded sun hat.

  • Many British Ferns evidence a marked tendency to “sport,” and this is a fact which the beginner should always bear in mind.

  • The parliament house and library of the British provinces, at Montreal, burned by a mob.

  • Where the outside conditions are not very favourable, practically all the British species may be grown with ease under glass.

British Dictionary definitions for 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 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 forms of British

Britishness, 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

Table of Contents

  1. Where’s the logic meaning?
  2. What kind of word is British?
  3. Where does the word British come from?
  4. Is Britain and England same?
  5. What was Britain called before it was Britain?
  6. Why is UK called Great Britain?
  7. Are Scottish people British?
  8. Is Scotland ruled by England?
  9. Does England own Ireland and Scotland?
  10. Does the Queen control Scotland?
  11. Does Scotland have royalty?
  12. Is Queen Elizabeth German descent?
  13. Who is the rightful king of Scotland?
  14. Who is the biggest landowner in the UK?
  15. Can foreigners own property in Scotland?
  16. Is it expensive to live in Scotland?
  17. Is there any free land in Scotland?
  18. Is Scotland a good place to live?
  19. Is living in Scotland better than England?
  20. Is Scotland a safe country?
  21. Can an American move to Scotland?
  22. What are the benefits of living in Scotland?
  23. Can an American retire to Scotland?

British means belonging or relating to the United Kingdom, or to its people or culture. … The British are the people of Great Britain.

Where’s the logic meaning?

a particular way of thinking, especially one that is reasonable and based on good judgment: I fail to see the logic behind his argument.

British is virtually always an adjective, not a noun. The noun is Britain. But headlines of late have been using the shorter noun forms, as in Spain court in lieu of Spanish court.

Where does the word British come from?

The name Britain originates from the Common Brittonic term *Pritanī and is one of the oldest known names for Great Britain, an island off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The terms Briton and British, similarly derived, refer to its inhabitants and, to varying extents, the smaller islands in the vicinity.

Is Britain and England same?

England is a country. Britain is an area that consists of England and the country of Wales. Great Britain is the name of the island that is home to the countries of England, Wales, and Scotland.

What was Britain called before it was Britain?

Albion

Why is UK called Great Britain?

Great Britain (sometimes just referred to as ‘Britain‘) It is known asGreat‘ because it is the largest island in the British Isles, and houses the countries of England, Scotland and Wales within its shores.

Are Scottish people British?

People born in Scotland are called Scottish or British and can say that they live in Scotland, Britain and/or the UK. Most people in Scotland will say they are Scottish rather than British. People born in Wales are called Welsh or British and can say that they live in Wales, Britain and/or the UK.

Is Scotland ruled by England?

listen)) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. … The Kingdom of Scotland emerged as an independent sovereign state in the Early Middle Ages and continued to exist until 1707. By inheritance in 1603, James VI of Scotland became king of England and Ireland, thus forming a personal union of the three kingdoms.

Does England own Ireland and Scotland?

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK), since 1922, comprises four constituent countries: England, Scotland, and Wales (which collectively make up Great Britain), as well as Northern Ireland (variously described as a country, province or region).

Does the Queen control Scotland?

Constitutional role in Scotland Her Majesty is Queen of the United Kingdom, but the 1707 Act of Union provided for certain powers of the monarch to endure in Scotland. … Royal Commissions are given under the Great Seal of Scotland.

Does Scotland have royalty?

The monarch of Scotland is the head of state of the Kingdom of Scotland. … Thus Queen Anne became the last monarch of the ancient kingdoms of Scotland and England and the first of Great Britain, although the kingdoms had shared a monarch since 1603 (see Union of the Crowns).

Is Queen Elizabeth German descent?

Despite technically being a princess of the German Duchy of Teck, she was born and raised in England. She was first engaged to marry Prince Albert Victor, the eldest son of Edward VII and her second cousin once removed, but after Albert’s sudden death in 1892, Mary agreed to marry his brother, the future King George V.

Who is the rightful king of Scotland?

Following the Jacobite line, the current King of Scotland would be Franz Bonaventura Adalbert Maria Herzog von Bayern, whose great-grandfather Ludwig III was the last Bavarian monarch before being deposed in 1918. Now 77 years old, his heir is his younger brother Max, 74, and then Sophie, his eldest niece.

Who is the biggest landowner in the UK?

FORESTRY COMMISSION

Can foreigners own property in Scotland?

There are no restrictions on foreigners buying residential property in Scotland.

Is it expensive to live in Scotland?

Cost of living Living in Scotland is generally less expensive than many other areas in the UK. Weekly household costs can be 20% lower than in London and 10% cheaper than the UK as a whole. So you can have it all, for less.

Is there any free land in Scotland?

Yes, this is true you can claim land for free in the Uk through what is known as Adverse Possession. It takes a total of 12 years to get the land title in your name. But it takes only weeks to start using the land and making money from it.

Is Scotland a good place to live?

Scotland is a very safe country to travel and live in. During the two years I lived there, not once did I ever feel like I was in danger. There are some shady areas in the larger cities that you should avoid, like Niddrie, Wester Hails, MuirHouse and Pilton in Edinburgh.

Is living in Scotland better than England?

In a league table of 272 regions of the EU, Scotland was rated higher than England when it came to quality of life – even though their weather is undeniably worse if you don’t love drizzle and shivering. People living there had better education and a more tolerant attitude towards minorities, the study found.

Is Scotland a safe country?

Scotland is a warm and safe place for you and your family to live or visit. Our dedicated police force work within communities to tackle crime and keep people safe.

Can an American move to Scotland?

If you’re an American hoping to move to Scotland, obviously your primary concern is your visa situation. Americans are allowed to stay in the UK for up to six months within a 12 month period, with no visa required.

What are the benefits of living in Scotland?

What are the Advantages of Living in Scotland?

  • 1 In Scotland – in the UK – we get an average of 28 days of paid vacation each and every year.
  • 2 NHS is awesome.
  • 3 History at its finest.
  • 4 Public transport is excellent.
  • 5 The Scottish people are friendly.
  • 2 Property – it’s costly. …
  • 3 Cost of petrol (gas).

Can an American retire to Scotland?

Most Scots probably have good ideas of where they would like to retire in their own country. But even an American, person from the UK, or a member of the Commonwealth who retires to Scotland will be very familiar with place and people names. … It makes for a great place to retire where there is plenty to do.

1

a

: the Celtic language of the ancient Britons

2

plural in construction

: the people of Great Britain or the Commonwealth of Nations

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Bruttische of Britain, from Old English Brettisc, from Brettas Britons, of Celtic origin; akin to Welsh Brython Briton

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of British was
before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near British

Cite this Entry

“British.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/British. Accessed 14 Apr. 2023.

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Merriam-Webster unabridged

Definitions of British

  1. adjective

    of or relating to or characteristic of Great Britain or its people or culture

  2. noun

    the people of Great Britain

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English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

  • Brittish (archaic)

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English Brittish, from Old English Brettisċ.[1]
The spelling with single -t- appears in the 13th century under the influence of Medieval Latin Britannicus, but spelling with -tt- persists alongside -t- during the 13th to 17th centuries.

In reference to the island of Great Britain from ca. 1400 (Latin natio Anglica sive Britannica, Brittisshe occean 1398, the Britishe nacion 1548).
As a noun, referring to the British people, British soldiers, etc. from ca. 1600.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈbɹɪtɪʃ/
  • (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /ˈbɹɪtɪʃ/, [ˈbɹɪɾɪʃ]
  • (Cockney, Estuary English) IPA(key): [ˈbɹɪʔɪʃ]
  • Rhymes: -ɪtɪʃ
  • Hyphenation: Brit‧ish

Proper noun[edit]

British

  1. (with article, collective) The residents or inhabitants of Great Britain.
  2. (with article, collective) The citizens or inhabitants of the United Kingdom.
  3. (history) The ancient inhabitants of the southern part of Britain before the Anglo-Saxon invasion.
    Synonym: Britons
  4. The Celtic language of the ancient Britons; Common Brittonic.
  5. (obsolete) Synonym of Welsh: the Welsh people.
  6. (chiefly US) The British English language.

Translations[edit]

citizens or inhabitants of Britain

  • Arabic: بِرِيطَانِيّ (ar) m (biriṭāniyy), بِرِيطَانِيَّة‎ f (biriṭāniyya)
  • Burmese: ဗြိတိလျှ (bri.ti.hlya.)
  • Catalan: britànics (ca) m pl
  • Chinese:
    Cantonese: 英國人英国人 (jing1 gwok3 jan3)
    Mandarin: 英國人英国人 (zh) (yīngguórén)
  • Czech: Britové (cs) m pl
  • Danish: brite c
  • Dutch: Brit (nl) m, Britse (nl) f
  • Estonian: britt (et)
  • Faroese: breti m
  • Finnish: britit (fi)
  • French: Britannique (fr) m or f
  • Galician: británicos m pl
  • German: Briten (de) pl, Brite (de) m, Britin (de) f
  • Greek: Βρετανός (el) m (Vretanós), Βρετανή f (Vretaní)
  • Hindi: ब्रिटिश (hi) (briṭiś), अंग्रेज़ी (hi) (aṅgrezī)
  • Hungarian: brit (hu), nagy-britanniai
  • Icelandic: Breti m
  • Indonesian: Bangsa Inggris
  • Italian: britannici (it) m pl
  • Japanese: イギリス人 (ja) (イギリスじん, igirisujin), 英国人 (ja) (えいこくじん, eikokujin)
  • Javanese: Bangsa Inggeris
  • Lithuanian: britas (lt) m, britė (lt) f
  • Macedonian: Британци pl (Britanci)
  • Marathi: ब्रिटिश (briṭiś)
  • Navajo: Óola Bichʼahní dineʼé
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: brite (no) m
    Nynorsk: brite m
  • Persian: بریتانیایی(beritâniyâyi)
  • Polish: Brytyjczycy pl
  • Portuguese: britânicos m pl
  • Romanian: britanic (ro) m, britanici m pl
  • Russian: брита́нец (ru) m (británec), брита́нка (ru) f (británka), брита́нцы (ru) m pl (británcy)
  • Scottish Gaelic: Breatannaich m
  • Slovak: Brit m
  • Slovene: Británec m, Británka f
  • Spanish: británicos (es) m pl
  • Swedish: britt (sv) c, brittiska (sv) c
  • Turkish: İngiliz (tr)

the citizens or inhabitants of the UK

  • Burmese: ဗြိတိလျှ (bri.ti.hlya.)
  • Catalan: britànics (ca) m pl
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 英國人英国人 (zh) (yīngguórén)
  • Czech: Britové (cs) m pl
  • Danish: brite c
  • Dutch: Brit (nl) m, Britse (nl) f
  • Estonian: britt (et)
  • Faroese: breti m
  • Finnish: britit (fi)
  • French: Britannique (fr) m or f
  • German: Briten (de) pl, Brite (de) m, Britin (de) f
  • Greek: Βρετανός (el) m (Vretanós), Βρετανή f (Vretaní)
  • Hebrew: בריטי (he) m (briti)
  • Hindi: अंग्रेज़ m (aṅgrez), अंग्रेज़िन f (aṅgrezin), ब्रिटिश (hi) (briṭiś)
  • Hungarian: brit (hu), egyesült királysági, egyesült királyságbeli
  • Indonesian: Orang Inggris
  • Italian: britannici (it) m pl
  • Japanese: イギリス人 (ja) (イギリスじん, igirisujin), 英国人 (ja) (えいこくじん, eikokujin)
  • Javanese: Wong Inggeris
  • Lithuanian: britas (lt) m, britė (lt) f
  • Macedonian: Британци pl (Britanci)
  • Marathi: ब्रिटिश (briṭiś)
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: brite (no) m
    Nynorsk: brite m
  • Polish: Brytyjczycy pl
  • Portuguese: britânicos m pl
  • Romanian: britanic (ro) m, britanic (ro) m pl
  • Russian: брита́нец (ru) m (británec), брита́нка (ru) f (británka), брита́нцы (ru) m pl (británcy)
  • Scottish Gaelic: Breatannaich m
  • Slovak: Brit m
  • Spanish: británicos (es) m pl
  • Swedish: britt (sv) c, brittiska (sv) c
  • Turkish: İngiliz (tr)

history: ancient inhabitants of the southern part of Britain

  • Breton: Brezhon (br)
  • Cornish: Brython
  • Czech: Britonové m pl
  • Danish: brite c
  • Estonian: britt (et)
  • Finnish: britit (fi), brittiläiset (fi)
  • Hungarian: brit (hu)
  • Indonesian: Orang Inggris Kuno, Orang Pribumi Inggris
  • Old English: Bryttas, Bryttwealas, Bryttwalas
  • Portuguese: britões m pl (Portugal), bretões m pl (Brazil)
  • Romanian: britonic m, britonici m pl
  • Russian: бритт (ru) m (britt), бри́ттка f (bríttka), бри́тты (ru) m pl (brítty)
  • Scottish Gaelic: Breatannaich m
  • Welsh: Brython

the British English language

  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 英國英語英国英语 (yīngguóyǔ)
  • Danish: britisk engelsk
  • Dutch: Brits-Engels (nl) n
  • Finnish: britannianenglanti
  • French: anglais britannique (fr) m
  • German: Britisches Englisch n
  • Greek: αγγλικά (el) n pl (angliká)
  • Hungarian: brit (hu), brit angol (hu)
  • Indonesian: Bahasa Inggris (id)
  • Japanese: イギリス英語 (Igirisu eigo), 英英語 (えいえいご, eieigo) or 英々語 (えいえいご, eieigo)
  • Javanese: Basa Inggeris
  • Macedonian: британски англиски m (britanski angliski)
  • Marathi: ब्रिटिश इंग्रजी (briṭiś iṅgrajī), ब्रिटिश इंग्लिश (briṭiś iṅgliś)
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: britisk engelsk m
    Nynorsk: britisk engelsk m
  • Portuguese: inglês britânico (pt)
  • Romanian: engleză britanică f
  • Russian: бри́танский а́нглийский m (brítanskij ánglijskij)
  • Spanish: inglés británico
  • Swedish: brittisk engelska (sv) c
  • Turkish: İngiliz İngilizcesi (tr)
  • Welsh: Saesneg Prydain m

Adjective[edit]

British (comparative more British, superlative most British)

  1. Of Britain.
  2. Of the United Kingdom.
  3. Of the Commonwealth of Nations, or the British Empire.
  4. (historical) Of the ancient inhabitants of the southern part of Britain; Brythonic.
  5. (historical) Of the British Isles.
  6. Of British English.

Derived terms[edit]

  • British Antarctic Territory
  • British Columbia
  • British Isles
  • British Raj
  • Britisher
  • Britishification
  • Britishify
  • Britishish
  • Britishly
  • britshit
  • Britshit

Translations[edit]

of Britain

  • Albanian: britanik (sq)
  • Arabic: بِرِيطَانِيّ (ar) (biriṭāniyy), بَرِيطَانِيّ‎ (ar) (barīṭāniyy)
  • Armenian: բրիտանական (britanakan)
  • Assamese: ব্ৰিটিছ (britis), বিলাতী (bilati)
  • Azerbaijani: britaniyalı, britaniya
  • Belarusian: брыта́нскі (brytánski)
  • Bengali: ব্রিটিশ (bn) (briṭiś)
  • Bulgarian: брита́нски (británski)
  • Burmese: ဗြိတိသျှ (bri.ti.hsya.)
  • Catalan: britànic (ca)
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: 英國的英国的 (zh) (Yīngguó de)
  • Czech: britský (cs)
  • Danish: britisk
  • Dutch: Brits (nl)
  • Estonian: briti
  • Faroese: bretskur
  • Finnish: brittiläinen (fi), britti-
  • French: britannique (fr) m or f
  • Georgian: ბრიტანული (briṭanuli)
  • German: britisch (de), großbritannisch (de)
  • Greek: βρετανικός (el) m (vretanikós)
  • Hebrew: בְּרִיטִי (he) (briti)
  • Hindi: अंग्रेज़ी (hi) (aṅgrezī), ब्रिटिश (hi) (briṭiś)
  • Hungarian: brit (hu)
  • Icelandic: breskur (is)
  • Indonesian: Inggris (id)
  • Irish: Briotanach
  • Italian: britannico (it)
  • Japanese: イギリスの (ja) (Igirisu no), 英国の (ja) (Eikoku no)
  • Kazakh: британдық (britandyq), британиялық (britaniälyq)
  • Khmer: ប៊្រីតថេន (priittheen)
  • Korean: 영국의 (ko) (yeonggugui)
  • Kyrgyz: британиялык (britaniyalık)
  • Latin: Britanniae
  • Latvian: britu, britisks
  • Lithuanian: britų, britiškas
  • Luxembourgish: brittesch
  • Macedonian: британски (britanski)
  • Maori: a Peretānia, o Peretānia
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: britisk
    Nynorsk: britisk
  • Occitan: britanic
  • Persian: بریتانیایی(beritâniyâyi)
  • Polish: brytyjski (pl)
  • Portuguese: britânico (pt)
  • Romanian: britanic (ro)
  • Russian: брита́нский (ru) (británskij)
  • Scottish Gaelic: Breatannach
  • Serbo-Croatian:
    Cyrillic: британски
    Roman: britanski (sh)
  • Slovak: britský (sk)
  • Slovene: británski (sl)
  • Spanish: británico (es)
  • Swedish: brittisk (sv)
  • Tajik: британӣ (britanī)
  • Thai: บริเตน (brì-dteen)
  • Turkish: İngiliz (tr)
  • Ukrainian: брита́нський (uk) (brytánsʹkyj)
  • Uzbek: britaniyalik, britaniya
  • Vietnamese: Anh (vi), đảo Anh (vi)
  • Welsh: Prydeinig (cy)
  • Yiddish: בריטיש(british)

colloquial: of the UK

  • Armenian: բրիտանական (britanakan)
  • Catalan: britànic (ca)
  • Czech: britský (cs)
  • Dutch: Brits (nl)
  • Faroese: bretskur
  • Finnish: brittiläinen (fi), britti-, englantilainen (fi), englantilais- (fi)
  • Georgian: ბრიტანული (briṭanuli)
  • German: britisch (de)
  • Hindi: ब्रिटिश (hi) (briṭiś), अंग्रेज़ी (hi) (aṅgrezī)
  • Hungarian: brit (hu), egyesült királysági, egyesült királyságbeli
  • Japanese: イギリスの (ja) (Igirisu no), 英国の (ja) (Eikoku no)
  • Korean: 영국의 (ko) (yeonggug-ui)
  • Macedonian: британски (britanski)
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: britisk
    Nynorsk: britisk
  • Persian: بریتانیایی(beritâniyâyi)
  • Polish: brytyjski (pl)
  • Portuguese: britânico (pt)
  • Romanian: britanic (ro)
  • Russian: брита́нский (ru) (británskij)
  • Scottish Gaelic: Breatannach
  • Serbo-Croatian:
    Cyrillic: британски
    Roman: britanski (sh)
  • Spanish: británico (es)
  • Swedish: brittisk (sv)
  • Tajik: британӣ (britanī)
  • Vietnamese: Anh (vi)
  • Welsh: Prydeinig (cy)

history: of the ancient inhabitants of the southern part of Britain

  • Breton: please add this translation if you can
  • Cornish: brythonik
  • Czech: britonský
  • Finnish: brittiläinen (fi), britti-
  • Hungarian: brit (hu)
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: britisk
    Nynorsk: britisk
  • Old English: Bryttisc Brytwylisc
  • Portuguese: britônico m
  • Romanian: britonic
  • Scottish Gaelic: Breatannach
  • Welsh: Brythonig

References[edit]

  1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “British”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
  • Defenition of the word British

    • Of or relating to Great Britain, Brits, or the British English language.
    • of or relating to or characteristic of Great Britain or its people or culture; «his wife is British»
    • the people of Great Britain
    • of or relating to or characteristic of Great Britain or its people or culture

Synonyms for the word British

    • British
    • British people
    • Brits
    • the British

Hypernyms for the word British

    • a people
    • country
    • land
    • nation
    • nationality

See other words

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    • Literal and figurative meaning of the word Breton Written Latin Script Pre-Modern
    • The origin of the word British Bulldogs
    • Synonym for the word British English
    • Antonyms for the word British Indian Ocean Territory
    • Homonyms for the word British Isles
    • Hyponyms for the word British Sign Language
    • Holonyms for the word British Virgin Islands
    • Hypernyms for the word British pound
    • Proverbs and sayings for the word British thermal unit
    • Translation of the word in other languages Briton

Princeton’s WordNetRate this definition:2.5 / 2 votes

  1. British, British people, Britsadjective

    the people of Great Britain

  2. Britishadjective

    of or relating to or characteristic of Great Britain or its people or culture

    «his wife is British»

WiktionaryRate this definition:4.5 / 2 votes

  1. Britishadjective

    Of Britain (meaning the British Isles)

  2. Britishadjective

    Of the United Kingdom.

  3. Britishadjective

    Of the Commonwealth of Nations, or the British Empire.

  4. Britishadjective

    Of the ancient inhabitants of the southern part of Britain; Brythonic.

  5. Britishnoun

    With the, the citizens or inhabitants of Britain collectively.

  6. Britishnoun

    With the, the citizens or inhabitants of the United Kingdom collectively.

  7. Britishnoun

    The ancient inhabitants of the southern part of Britain, also called ancient Britons.

  8. Britishnoun

    The Celtic language of the ancient Britons

  9. Britishnoun

    The British English language.

  10. Etymology: In as Bryttisc «Britons».

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:1.7 / 3 votes

  1. Britishadjective

    of or pertaining to Great Britain or to its inhabitants; — sometimes restricted to the original inhabitants

  2. British

    people of Great Britain

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word ‘british’ in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #223

  2. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word ‘british’ in Written Corpus Frequency: #610

  3. Adjectives Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word ‘british’ in Adjectives Frequency: #16

How to pronounce british?

How to say british in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of british in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of british in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of british in a Sentence

  1. The Shivering Truth:

    Wound: [British Accent] Blimey! that quite hit the spot, Eric.

    Benny: But my name is Benny.

    Wound: You can’t fool me, Eric. You see I am no ordinary wound. For I am British.

    Benny: I think I’m going crazy.

    Wound: Nonsense. I would contend that your are… going sane.

  2. Martin McTague:

    The British pound’s just one blow after the other, i’m afraid I can’t find any good news.

  3. Marc Neveu:

    This is the first explanation consistent with data returned from NASAs Cassini spacecraft for how a tiny moon such as Enceladus, which is only about as big as Washington state or the British Isles, has a subsurface ocean when other sibling moons that are bigger or closer to Saturn, and therefore more likely to have such oceans, do not.

  4. Mujtaba Rahman:

    It’s not going well… What is going to happen if there is no agreement is that Senior EU officials will have to impose tax and quotas on a certain number of British products.

  5. Jackie Speier:

    If they need to be subpoenaed they will be subpoenaed — I feel that strongly about it, and if this committee is worth its salt at all, it has to recognize you cannot complete an investigation without interviewing them and (former British intelligence Russia expert) Christopher Steele, and (former Trump advisers) Roger Stone and Carter Page and the web of operatives that had relationships with Russia.

Popularity rank by frequency of use


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Citation

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Are we missing a good definition for british? Don’t keep it to yourself…

  • Dictionary
  • B
  • British

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [brit-ish]
    • /ˈbrɪt ɪʃ/
    • /ˈbrɪt.ɪʃ/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [brit-ish]
    • /ˈbrɪt ɪʃ/

Definitions of british word

  • adjective british British means belonging or relating to the United Kingdom, or to its people or culture. 3
  • noun plural british The British are the people of Great Britain. 3
  • adjective british relating to, denoting, or characteristic of Britain or any of the natives, citizens, or inhabitants of the United Kingdom 3
  • adjective british relating to or denoting the English language as spoken and written in Britain, esp the S dialect generally regarded as standard 3
  • adjective british relating to or denoting the ancient Britons 3
  • adjective british of or relating to the Commonwealth 3

Information block about the term

Origin of british

First appearance:

before 900

One of the 4% oldest English words

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

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for British

british popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 98% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between «mom» and «screwdriver».

Top questions with british

  • who won the british open?
  • where is british columbia?
  • what is british thermal unit?
  • how to speak british?
  • what is a british thermal unit?
  • how to do a british accent?
  • what is british airways?
  • what time is it in british columbia?
  • when is the british open?
  • how to speak in a british accent?
  • why did the colonists fight the british?
  • how to speak with a british accent?
  • what two nations were formed from british india?
  • after lexington where did the british go?
  • which area is not considered part of the british isles?

See also

  • All definitions of british
  • Related words to british
  • Sentences with the word british
  • british pronunciation

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There have been some great answers to this. Hugo explained it well, when he wrote «No, “English” and “British” are never exact synonyms, and please don’t use them that way.» That’s true.

Affable Geek alluded to an important point, when they wrote «(Cornwall is technically English, but just barely).» Technically English in that this is a status that has historically been imposed on it, by England. Many Cornish people in the past and today, have considered themselves as Cornish and not English. They are Celtic, with a history and language (even though they speak English, as well) that are not of England. Therefore, not English in the true sense of the word.

Basically, English is just for those things that are of England only. Including the language, even though it is used in other parts of the world, it is only of England. British, is for things that are of the entire United Kingdom, generally. So, British includes English things and others.

As an American, I naively think of British and English as exact
synonyms. I know I’m wrong, but I just don’t know in what way. I am
vaguely aware that people in the UK hold strong opinions about one or
the other term and how it is applied, and using one instead of the
other has dire social implications. So there is geography (Britain vs.
England), but more importantly the adjectives British and English, and
those adjectives each one by themselves, may mean different things in
different contexts, and depending on the speaker and the listener. Can
anyone explain the nuances of the differences as used by those who
might consider themselves English (or British, if that’s an acceptable
usage)? How about by the non-English/non-British (again if it’s
appropriate to use such terms).

I’m British. I know that this question is an issue for a lot of people in the world. It can be explained simply.

Most people are familiar with the words England and English but, are not as familiar with the other words, like United Kingdom, Britain, British, Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish or Cornish. Therefore, they assume that England and English apply to everything of the UK. It is an assumption based on a lack of information.

A simple way to understand it, is to compare the UK to the USA. The USA is a country made up of states. Each state, with a different name. People can be New Yorkers or Californians and they are Americans. However, not all Americans are New Yorkers or Californians.

For the UK, replace the word states, with the words «home nations». Then, replace the state names with the names Scotland, Wales, England, Cornwall, Northern Ireland. Scottish, Welsh, English, Northern Irish and Cornish are the words for describing things that are of each of these home nations. People can be English and they are British. However, not all British people are English.

I know that the UK and the USA are not entirely comparable but, for the purposes of this subject, the comparison is a suitable one.

There is one other point that is worth making, in regards to this subject.

The word British, does not only mean things or people that are of the UK. It also applies to the things or people that are of the overseas territories of the UK. Whether colonies, dependencies or anything else; these are territories that belong to but are not part of, the UK.

These include examples such as the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar. Even the Isle of Man, which is close to the UK but, still not part of it. These are all British overseas territories and their peoples are British citizens.

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