Blighty

noun

chiefly British
: one's native land (such as England)

Examples of Blighty in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
This suggests affection for Scorsese’s western ran wide but not deep among the Blighty contingent, consistent with their history of only embracing films about America’s racial ills when they’re directed by Brits. Vulture, 19 Jan. 2024 According to The Associated Press, more than 29,000 people have hit the shores of Blighty this year on small boats, after over 46,000 last year. Adam Shaw, Fox News, 8 Dec. 2023 Taylor Tomlinson will host After Midnight, the show that is replacing The Late Late Show now that James Corden has scarpered off to old Blighty. Vulture, 1 Nov. 2023 Indeed, Blighty’s inward investment drum has been beating long and loudly with a focus on studios and streamers, who drove a majority of the U.K.’s near £5 billion ($6 billion) of qualifying film and High End TV productions in 2022. Angus Finney, Variety, 30 Oct. 2023 To really hammer home how far old Blighty has come, Netflix cut a trailer with voice over by Claire Foy, Olivia Colman and Imelda Staunton as every version of Queen Elizabeth II the show has deployed. Vulture, 9 Oct. 2023 The big event might be over in Old Blighty, but don’t feel forlorn, royal-lovers. Yvonne Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 6 May 2023 Not far away is an earlier housing development that is even more redolent of Blighty: Foxhall Village. John Kelly, Washington Post, 19 Nov. 2022

Word History

Etymology

modification of Hindi & Urdu bilātī foreign, English, alteration of vilāyatī, from vilāyat province, realm, country beyond India, from Persian, dominion, province, from Arabic wilāya

First Known Use

circa 1901, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Blighty was circa 1901

Dictionary Entries Near Blighty

Cite this Entry

“Blighty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Blighty. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

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