British English
noun
: the native language of most inhabitants of England
especially
: English characteristic of England and clearly distinguishable from that used elsewhere (as in the U.S. or Australia)
Examples of British English in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In automotive terms, saloon is another word for sedan that is more commonly used in British English.
—
Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2024
But there were also changes that were obviously changes, either changing British English into American English.
—The Politics Of Everything, The New Republic, 15 Mar. 2023
This pronunciation change happened at a time when American English was trying to differentiate itself from British English, explained Kelly Elizabeth Wright, experimental sociolinguist and lexicographer at Virginia Tech.
—Janelle Davis, CNN, 12 Mar. 2023
Not everyone is happy about the spread of British English.
—Konrad Putzier, WSJ, 18 Dec. 2022
Which term is used largely depends on whether the person is speaking British English or American English.
—Keira Wingate, USA TODAY, 22 Sep. 2022
Alexis realized both Adrian and Mastermind365 used phrases common in British English — complete with some of the same typos.
—CBS News, 28 Feb. 2021
The programme’s vocabulary is calibrated using texts from journals, novels, conversation recordings, blog posts and more, in both American and British English.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 29 Sep. 2011
Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2024
But there were also changes that were obviously changes, either changing British English into American English.
—The Politics Of Everything, The New Republic, 15 Mar. 2023
This pronunciation change happened at a time when American English was trying to differentiate itself from British English, explained Kelly Elizabeth Wright, experimental sociolinguist and lexicographer at Virginia Tech.
—Janelle Davis, CNN, 12 Mar. 2023
Not everyone is happy about the spread of British English.
—Konrad Putzier, WSJ, 18 Dec. 2022
Which term is used largely depends on whether the person is speaking British English or American English.
—Keira Wingate, USA TODAY, 22 Sep. 2022
Alexis realized both Adrian and Mastermind365 used phrases common in British English — complete with some of the same typos.
—CBS News, 28 Feb. 2021
The programme’s vocabulary is calibrated using texts from journals, novels, conversation recordings, blog posts and more, in both American and British English.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 29 Sep. 2011
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'British English.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1866, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to British English
Dictionary Entries Near British English
Cite this Entry
“British English.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/British%20English. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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