British

noun

Brit·​ish ˈbri-tish 

1

a

: the Celtic language of the ancient Britons

b

: british english

2

plural in construction : the people of Great Britain or the Commonwealth of Nations

British adjective

Britishism

ˈbri-ti-ˌshi-zəm 

noun

Britishness noun

Examples of British in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In one of the screening rooms of the storied British Film Institute (BFI) in Southbank, over a hundred people —mostly women —gathered for a buzzy night of watching shorts. —Nina-Sophia Miralles, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

Buy Now on Beau Lake: $4,900 Photo : Wolf Wolf British Racing Triple Watch Rolll Transport your watch collection and protect your valuables at sea with Wolf’s British Racing Triple Watch Roll. —Jaclyn Trop, Robb Report, 11 Dec. 2024

The Incident The university reported that junior defender Nathan Demian—a native of Vancouver, British Columbia—was an innocent bystander during the incident early Sunday. —Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024

Glass sponge reefs found off British Columbia’s north coast are among the oldest in the entire ocean and have survived for more than 9,000 years. —Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Dec. 2024

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

Phrases Containing British

• anti-British
• British English
• British Summer Time
• British thermal unit
• the British

Kids Definition

British

1 of 2 noun

Brit·​ish

ˈbrit-ish

1

plural British : the people of Great Britain or their descendants

2

: the English language as spoken in England

British

2 of 2 adjective

1

: of or relating to the original people of Britain

2

a

: of or relating to Great Britain or the British

b

: English entry 1