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

The British Fashion Council also stepped in to help designers after Matches collapsed. —Samantha Conti, WWD, 30 Sep. 2024

Will Members of the British Royal Family Be Attending the Upcoming Wedding of Princess Theodora of Greece? Theodora and Matthew, 34, were married by His Eminence Metropolitan of Syros, Dorotheos II, with several family members serving in the wedding party, according to an official statement. —Janine Henni, People.com, 28 Sep. 2024

Jones is chairman of the British Hat Guild and patron of the Millinery Association of Australia. —Laia Farran Graves, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024

The company’s resorts in Colorado are Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte. Vail Resorts’ other holdings in the West include Park City in Utah; Stevens Pass in Washington state; and Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada. —Judith Kohler, The Denver Post, 28 Sep. 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