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

Today, most copies of Shakespeare’s First Folio are owned by institutions like the Folger Shakespeare Library, the British Library and the New York Public Library. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Apr. 2025

The British Columbia prosecution service said that Lo could face more charges, but investigators ruled out terrorism and said Lo had a history of mental health issues. —Mark Weinstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025

Khalil also withheld past employment with the Syrian office in the Beirut British Embassy and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) as well as his membership in the CUAD when applying for a green card. —Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2025

The British Columbia Prosecution Service charged Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, with eight counts of second-degree murder and said more charges were possible. —Arkansas Online, 28 Apr. 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

Rhymes for British

• skittish

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