British
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British
- /ˈbɹɪtɪʃ/
- [ˈbɹɪtɪʃ] UK
- [ˈbɹɪɾɪʃ] Australia, Canada, US
- [ˈbɹɪʔɪʃ] Cockney, Estuary English
Rhymes with -ɪtɪʃ
Where it comes from
From Middle English Brittish, from Old English Brettisċ.
The spelling with single -t- appears in the 13th century under the influence of Medieval Latin Britannicus, but spelling with -tt- persists alongside -t- during the 13th to at least 18th centuries.
In reference to the island of Great Britain from ca. 1400 (Latin natio Anglica sive Britannica, Brittisshe occean 1398, the Britishe nacion 1548).
As a noun, referring to the British people, British soldiers, etc. from ca. 1600.
noun Brittish
proper noun Brittish
- The Celtic language of the ancient Britons; Common Brittonic.
- The British English language.
adjective more British · most British · Brittish
- Of Britain.
- Of the United Kingdom.
- Of the Commonwealth of Nations, or the British Empire.
- Of England; English.
- Of the ancient inhabitants of the southern part of Britain; Brythonic.
- Of the British Isles.
- Of British English.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: brits, british people, the british, britain, brit, english, englishman, briton, states, england, columbia, french, westminster, imperial, kingdom, colombia
Translations
Every language
noun citizens or inhabitants of Britain
| Español | británicos |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | イギリス人 igirisujin, 英国人 eikokujin |
| 中文 | 英國人 /英国人 yīngguórén |
| हिन्दी | ब्रिटिश briṭiś, अंग्रेज़ी aṅgrezī |
| Português | britânicos |
| Français | Britannique |
| Deutsch | Briten, Brite, Britin |
| Italiano | britannici |
| Ελληνικά | Βρετανός Vretanós, Βρετανή Vretaní |
| Română | britanic, britanici |
| Русский | брита́нец británec, брита́нка británka, брита́нцы británcy |
| العربية | بِرِيطَانِيّ biriṭāniyy, بِرِيطَانِيَّة biriṭāniyya |
noun history: ancient inhabitants of the southern part of Britain
| Español | britanos |
|---|---|
| Português | britões, bretões |
| Română | britonic, britonici |
| Русский | бритт britt, бри́ттка bríttka, бри́тты brítty |
noun the citizens or inhabitants of the UK
| Español | británicos, reinounidenses |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | イギリス人 igirisujin, 英国人 eikokujin |
| 中文 | 英國人 /英国人 yīngguórén |
| हिन्दी | अंग्रेज़ aṅgrez, अंग्रेज़िन aṅgrezin, ब्रिटिश briṭiś |
| Português | britânicos |
| Français | Britannique |
| Deutsch | Briten, Brite, Britin |
| Italiano | britannici |
| Ελληνικά | Βρετανός Vretanós, Βρετανή Vretaní |
| Română | britanic |
| Русский | брита́нец británec, брита́нка británka, брита́нцы británcy |
| עברית | בריטי briti |
name the British English language
| 日本語 | イギリス英語 Igirisu eigo, 英英語 or 英々語 eieigo |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 英國英語 /英国英语 yīngguóyǔ |
| Português | inglês britânico |
| Français | anglais britannique |
| Deutsch | Britisches Englisch |
| Ελληνικά | αγγλικά angliká |
| Română | engleză britanică |
| Русский | бри́танский а́нглийский brítanskij ánglijskij |
adj history: of the ancient inhabitants of the southern part of Britain
| Español | britano |
|---|---|
| Português | britônico |
| Română | britonic |
adj of Britain
| Español | británico |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 영국의 Yeonggug-ui |
| 日本語 | イギリスの Igirisu no, 英国の Eikoku no |
| 中文 | 英國的 /英国的 Yīngguó de |
| हिन्दी | अंग्रेज़ी aṅgrezī, ब्रिटिश briṭiś |
| Português | britânico |
| Français | britannique |
| Deutsch | britisch, großbritannisch |
| Italiano | britannico |
| Ελληνικά | βρετανικός vretanikós |
| Română | britanic |
| Русский | брита́нский británskij |
| Tiếng Việt | Anh, đảo Anh |
| العربية | بِرِيطَانِيّ biriṭāniyy, بَرِيطَانِيّ barīṭāniyy |
| עברית | בְּרִיטִי briti |
Talk about this word "British." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/british. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. British. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/british "British." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/british.Cite this
@misc{british_2026,
title = {British},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/british},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
