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

Drug laws that cover Scotland are set by the British Parliament at Westminster, but are enforced by Scottish courts, which operate their own system. —Stephen Castle, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025

The honor came nearly 10 years after Stewart was named Commander of the Order of the British Empire. —Kate Hogan, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025

Born in central British Columbia and raised in Deep Cove, a suburb of Vancouver, Friesen completed a radio and television degree at Ryerson University in Toronto, before doing an undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and an MBA at nearby Simon Fraser University. —Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Jan. 2025

Multiple other awards events, including the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Tea Party and the Writers Guild nominations, were either canceled or postponed. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 9 Jan. 2025

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