British

noun

Brit·​ish ˈbri-tish How to pronounce British (audio)
1
a
: the Celtic language of the ancient Britons
2
plural in construction : the people of Great Britain or the Commonwealth of Nations
British adjective
Britishism noun
Britishness noun

Examples of British in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The British Museum was informed of the discovery, according to the estate. Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024 A number of high-profile athletes have also battled long Covid, including British Tour de France winner Chris Froome and American ice hockey player Jonathan Toews. Reuters, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 The Concorde, one of a fleet of seven once owned by British Airways, departed the Weeks Marine in Jersey City, New Jersey, for its return to the Intrepid Museum following a months-long restoration project at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 15 Mar. 2024 From Alexa to Zawe, all Londoners bright and beautiful descended on Ladbroke Hall tonight to celebrate the homecoming – and landmark debut issue – of British Vogue’s Chioma Nnadi. Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024 Proceeds from the prize draw will be donated to the British Red Cross, Oxfam, and War Child, which are working in areas of conflict delivering humanitarian support. Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2024 After the British Mother's Day photo debacle, social media was understandably skeptical of the next photo of Kate. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 14 Mar. 2024 During a British Film Institute event in January, Lanthimos teased what audiences can expect from Kinds of Kindness. Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 The hotel company that developed the retro-chic TWA Hotel at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport has bought London’s iconic BT Tower, one of London’s most conspicuous buildings, from British Telecoms Group for $347 million. Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'British.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of British was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near British

Cite this Entry

“British.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/British. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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