Briton

noun

Brit·​on ˈbri-tᵊn How to pronounce Briton (audio)
1
: a member of one of the peoples inhabiting Britain prior to the Anglo-Saxon invasions
2
: a native or subject of Great Britain
especially : englishman

Examples of Briton in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Briton waited to find the right moment to pass Leclerc, who spent much of the first third of the race with the papaya car close on his tail. Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025 At the beginning of the 2025 F1 season—and following the departure of veteran driver Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari—Mercedes updated its driver lineup, tapping 18-year-old Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli to join the more seasoned 27-year-old Briton George Russell. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025 Despite finishing the race before the Aston Martin driver, the Briton attracted a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits, dropping him from P7 to P8. Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025 Last year's chemistry award went to U.S. scientists David Baker and John Jumper and Briton Demis Hassabis for work on decoding the structure of proteins and creating new ones, yielding advances in areas such as drug development. Reuters, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025 Last year’s chemistry award went to U.S. scientists David Baker, John Jumper and Briton Demis Hassabis for work on decoding the structure of proteins and creating new ones, yielding advances in areas such as drug development. Elmira Aliieva, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025 The 2025 Nobel Prize in physics has been awarded to a trio of scientists – a Briton, a Frenchman and an American – for their ground-breaking discoveries in the field of quantum mechanics. Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025 However, the Briton lost the position to a slow stop. Kanzah Maktoum, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Breton, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, from Latin Britton-, Britto, of Celtic origin; akin to Welsh Brython

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Briton was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Briton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Briton. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

Briton

noun
Brit·​on ˈbrit-ən How to pronounce Briton (audio)
1
: a member of one of the peoples living in Britain before the Anglo-Saxon invasions
2

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