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 Shortly afterwards, Twinings—another top brand, owned by Associated British Foods—reported its highest ever after-tax earnings of £77 million ($97.8 million). Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune Europe, 3 July 2024 But the Fourth did not signify the final victory of the American Revolution against the British. Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 3 July 2024 The fund has been launched in conjunction with the Fashion Council Germany (FCG), much as the CFDA works with American Vogue, or the British Fashion Council with Vogue UK. Mark Holgate, Vogue, 2 July 2024 In 1931, the British Medical Journal, citing a book published by H. Stanley Redgrove that same year, proposed that its real use was as a cleanser. Katrina Gulliver, JSTOR Daily, 2 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for British 

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 7 Jul. 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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