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 Ring of Brodgar is a massive ceremonial stone circle dating back to the third millennium BC, and the Stones of Stenness was once a circle of 12 stones with a central hearth built more than 5,000 years ago, one of the earliest monuments in the British Isles. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 13 Sep. 2024

Lowe channels the ebullient, wiry sounds of Sun Records, Buddy Holly, Gene Vincent, Ricky Nelson, and the early British Invasion, and bends them to fit his own story. —Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2024

Calla, a director at Goulston & Storrs in Boston and outside general counsel for Winners Alliance and the Professional Women’s Hockey League, tallied 103 points for the Cowichan Valley Capitals in the British Columbia Hockey League in 1994-95 before the forward joined Northeastern University. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Sep. 2024

Born March 10, 1980, in Princeton, British Columbia, Peat began his career at 15 years old and played for five years in Canada’s Western Hockey League. —Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 13 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