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British

//ˈbɹɪtɪʃ// adj, name, noun, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Of Britain. usually, with-definite-article
  2. 2
    Of the United Kingdom. usually, with-definite-article
  3. 3
    Of the Commonwealth of Nations, or the British Empire. usually, with-definite-article
  4. 4
    Of England; English. informal, proscribed, usually, with-definite-article
  5. 5
    Of the ancient inhabitants of the southern part of Britain; Brythonic. historical, usually, with-definite-article
Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    Of the British Isles. historical, usually, with-definite-article
  2. 7
    Of British English. usually, with-definite-article
Adjective
  1. 1
    of or relating to or characteristic of Great Britain or its people or culture wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    The Celtic language of the ancient Britons; Common Brittonic. usually, with-definite-article
  2. 2
    The British English language. US, usually, with-definite-article
Noun
  1. 1
    The residents or inhabitants of Great Britain. plural, plural-only, usually, with-definite-article
  2. 2
    the people of Great Britain wordnet
  3. 3
    The citizens or inhabitants of the United Kingdom. plural, plural-only, usually, with-definite-article
  4. 4
    The earlier inhabitants of southern Britain, prior to the Anglo-Saxon invasion and subsequent migrations. plural, plural-only, usually, with-definite-article
  5. 5
    Synonym of Welsh: the Welsh people. obsolete, plural, plural-only, usually, with-definite-article

Etymology

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

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.

Etymology 3

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.

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