name
Britain
BRIHT-uhn
name
1
The island made up of England, Scotland, and Wales, or (loosely) the United Kingdom as a whole.
"They moved to Britain in the early 1990s."
"Britain has a long tradition of parliamentary democracy."
How to Use Britain
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe name for the island of England, Scotland, and Wales, often used loosely to mean the whole United Kingdom.
UK vs US
Britain, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom are often used interchangeably in casual speech, though strictly the UK also includes Northern Ireland.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
more Britain comparative, Britains plural, Britains plural, most Britain superlative
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They moved to _____ in the early 1990s.
Etymology
From Latin Britannia, itself from an ancient Celtic name for the island, first recorded by Greek writers.