British

British

See also: british

English

Alternative forms

• Brittish (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English Brittish, from Old English Brettisċ.[1]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 17th 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.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈbɹɪtɪʃ/

• Audio (RP)

  (file)

• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈbɹɪtɪʃ/, [ˈbɹɪɾɪʃ]

• Audio (GA)

  (file)

• (Cockney, Estuary English) IPA^(key): [ˈbɹɪʔɪʃ]
• Rhymes: -ɪtɪʃ
• Hyphenation: Brit‧ish

Proper noun

British

1. (with article, collective) The residents or inhabitants of Great Britain.
2. (with article, collective) The citizens or inhabitants of the United Kingdom.
3. (historical) The ancient inhabitants of the southern part of Britain before the Anglo-Saxon invasion.

   Synonym: Britons

4. The Celtic language of the ancient Britons; Common Brittonic.
5. (obsolete) Synonym of Welsh: the Welsh people.
6. (chiefly US) The British English language.

Translations

citizens or inhabitants of Britain

Arabic: بِرِيطَانِيّ‎ (ar) m (biriṭāniyy), بِرِيطَانِيَّة‎ f (biriṭāniyya) Burmese: ဗြိတိလျှ (bri.ti.hlya.) Catalan: britànics (ca) m pl Chinese: Cantonese: 英國人, 英国人 (jing1 gwok3 jan3) Mandarin: 英國人／英国人 (zh) (yīngguórén) Czech: Britové (cs) m pl Danish: brite c Dutch: Brit (nl) m, Britse (nl) f Estonian: britt (et) Faroese: breti m Finnish: britit (fi) French: Britannique (fr) m or f Galician: británicos m pl German: Briten (de) pl, Brite (de) m, Britin (de) f Greek: Βρετανός (el) m (Vretanós), Βρετανή f (Vretaní) Hindi: ब्रिटिश (hi) (briṭiś), अंग्रेज़ी (hi) (aṅgrezī) Icelandic: Breti m Indonesian: Bangsa Inggris Italian: britannici (it) m pl Japanese: イギリス人 (ja) (イギリスじん, igirisujin), 英国人 (ja) (えいこくじん, eikokujin) Javanese: Bangsa Inggeris Lithuanian: britas (lt) m, britė (lt) f Macedonian: Британци pl (Britanci) Marathi: ब्रिटिश (briṭiś) Navajo: Óola Bichʼahní dineʼé Norwegian: Bokmål: brite (no) m Nynorsk: brite m Persian: بریتانیایی‎ (beritâniyâyi) Polish: Brytyjczycy pl Portuguese: britânicos m pl Romanian: britanic (ro) m, britanici m pl Russian: брита́нец (ru) m (británec), брита́нка (ru) f (británka), брита́нцы (ru) m pl (británcy) Scottish Gaelic: Breatannaich m Slovak: Brit m Slovene: Británec m, Británka f Spanish: británicos (es) m pl Swedish: britt (sv) c, brittiska (sv) c Turkish: İngiliz (tr)

the citizens or inhabitants of the UK

Burmese: ဗြိတိလျှ (bri.ti.hlya.) Catalan: britànics (ca) m pl Chinese: Mandarin: 英國人／英国人 (zh) (yīngguórén) Czech: Britové (cs) m pl Danish: brite c Dutch: Brit (nl) m, Britse (nl) f Estonian: britt (et) Faroese: breti m Finnish: britit (fi) French: Britannique (fr) m or f German: Briten (de) pl, Brite (de) m, Britin (de) f Greek: Βρετανός (el) m (Vretanós), Βρετανή f (Vretaní) Hebrew: בריטי‎ (he) m (briti) Hindi: अंग्रेज़ m (aṅgrez), अंग्रेज़िन f (aṅgrezin), ब्रिटिश (hi) (briṭiś) Indonesian: Orang Inggris Italian: britannici (it) m pl Japanese: イギリス人 (ja) (イギリスじん, igirisujin), 英国人 (ja) (えいこくじん, eikokujin) Javanese: Wong Inggeris Lithuanian: britas (lt) m, britė (lt) f Macedonian: Британци pl (Britanci) Marathi: ब्रिटिश (briṭiś) Norwegian: Bokmål: brite (no) m Nynorsk: brite m Polish: Brytyjczycy pl Portuguese: britânicos m pl Romanian: britanic (ro) m, britanic (ro) m pl Russian: брита́нец (ru) m (británec), брита́нка (ru) f (británka), брита́нцы (ru) m pl (británcy) Scottish Gaelic: Breatannaich m Slovak: Brit m Spanish: británicos (es) m pl Swedish: britt (sv) c, brittiska (sv) c Turkish: İngiliz (tr)

history: ancient inhabitants of the southern part of Britain

Breton: Brezhon (br) Cornish: Brython Czech: Britonové m pl Danish: brite c Estonian: britt (et) Finnish: britit (fi), brittiläiset (fi) Indonesian: Orang Inggris Kuno, Orang Pribumi Inggris Old English: Bryttas, Bryttwealas, Bryttwalas Portuguese: britões m pl (Portugal), bretões m pl (Brazil) Romanian: britonic m, britonici m pl Russian: бритт (ru) m (britt), бри́ттка f (bríttka), бри́тты (ru) m pl (brítty) Scottish Gaelic: Breatannaich m Welsh: Brython

the British English language

Chinese: Mandarin: 英國英語／英国英语 (yīngguóyǔ) Danish: britisk engelsk Dutch: Brits-Engels (nl) n Finnish: britannianenglanti French: anglais britannique (fr) m German: Britisches Englisch n Greek: αγγλικά (el) n pl (angliká) Indonesian: Bahasa Inggris (id) Japanese: イギリス英語 (Igirisu eigo), 英英語 (えいえいご, eieigo) or 英々語 (えいえいご, eieigo) Javanese: Basa Inggeris Macedonian: британски англиски m (britanski angliski) Marathi: ब्रिटिश इंग्रजी (briṭiś iṅgrajī), ब्रिटिश इंग्लिश (briṭiś iṅgliś) Norwegian: Bokmål: britisk engelsk m Nynorsk: britisk engelsk m Portuguese: inglês britânico (pt) Romanian: engleză britanică f Russian: бри́танский а́нглийский m (brítanskij ánglijskij) Spanish: inglés británico Swedish: brittisk engelska (sv) c Turkish: İngiliz İngilizcesi (tr) Welsh: Saesneg Prydain m

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Hebrew: (please verify) בריטים‎ m pl (brit'im), (please verify) בריטיות‎ f pl (brit'iot) Maltese: (please verify) Brittaniku m, (please verify) Brittanika f, (please verify) Brittaniċi pl Thai: (please verify) คนอังกฤษ (kon ang-grìt)

Adjective

British (comparative more British, superlative most British)

1. Of Britain.
2. Of the United Kingdom.
3. Of the Commonwealth of Nations, or the British Empire.
4. (historical) Of the ancient inhabitants of the southern part of Britain; Brythonic.
5. (historical) Of the British Isles.
6. Of British English.

Derived terms

• British Antarctic Territory
• British Columbia
• Britisher
• Britishification
• Britishify
• Britishish
• British Isles
• Britishly
• British Raj
• britshit
• Britshit

 

Translations

of Britain

Arabic: بِرِيطَانِيّ‎ (ar) (biriṭāniyy) Armenian: բրիտանական (britanakan) Assamese: ব্ৰিটিছ (britis), বিলাতী (bilati) Belarusian: брыта́нскі (brytánski) Bengali: ব্রিটিশ (bn) (briṭiś) Bulgarian: брита́нски (británski) Burmese: ဗြိတိသျှ (bri.ti.hsya.) Catalan: britànic (ca) Chinese: Mandarin: 英國的／英国的 (zh) (Yīngguó de) Czech: britský (cs) Danish: britisk Dutch: Brits (nl) Estonian: briti Faroese: bretskur Finnish: brittiläinen (fi), britti- French: britannique (fr) m or f Georgian: ბრიტანული (briṭanuli) German: britisch (de), großbritannisch (de) Greek: βρετανικός (el) m (vretanikós) Hindi: अंग्रेज़ी (hi) (aṅgrezī), ब्रिटिश (hi) (briṭiś) Hungarian: brit (hu) Indonesian: Inggris (id) Irish: Briotanach Italian: britannico (it) Japanese: イギリスの (ja) (Igirisu no), 英国の (ja) (Eikoku no) Korean: 영국의 (ko) (yeonggugui) Latin: Britanniae Latvian: britu, britisks Lithuanian: britų, britiškas Luxembourgish: brittesch Macedonian: британски (britanski) Maori: a Peretānia, o Peretānia Norwegian: Bokmål: britisk Nynorsk: britisk Occitan: britanic Persian: بریتانیایی‎ (beritâniyâyi) Polish: brytyjski (pl) Portuguese: britânico (pt) Romanian: britanic (ro) Russian: брита́нский (ru) (británskij) Scottish Gaelic: Breatannach Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: британски Roman: britanski (sh) Slovak: britský (sk) Slovene: británski (sl) Spanish: británico (es) Swedish: brittisk (sv) Thai: บริเตน (brì-dteen) Turkish: İngiliz (tr) Ukrainian: брита́нський (uk) (brytánsʹkyj) Welsh: Prydeinig (cy) Yiddish: בריטיש‎ (british)

colloquial: of the UK

Armenian: բրիտանական (britanakan) Catalan: britànic (ca) Czech: britský (cs) Dutch: Brits (nl) Faroese: bretskur Finnish: brittiläinen (fi), britti-, englantilainen (fi), englantilais- (fi) Georgian: ბრიტანული (briṭanuli) German: britisch (de) Hindi: ब्रिटिश (hi) (briṭiś), अंग्रेज़ी (hi) (aṅgrezī) Japanese: イギリスの (ja) (Igirisu no), 英国の (ja) (Eikoku no) Macedonian: британски (britanski) Norwegian: Bokmål: britisk Nynorsk: britisk Polish: brytyjski (pl) Portuguese: britânico (pt) Romanian: britanic (ro) Russian: брита́нский (ru) (británskij) Scottish Gaelic: Breatannach Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: британски Roman: britanski (sh) Spanish: británico (es) Swedish: brittisk (sv) Welsh: Prydeinig (cy)

history: of the ancient inhabitants of the southern part of Britain

Breton: please add this translation if you can Cornish: brythonik Czech: britonský Finnish: brittiläinen (fi), britti- Norwegian: Bokmål: britisk Nynorsk: britisk Old English: Bryttisc Brytwylisc Portuguese: britônico m Romanian: britonic Scottish Gaelic: Breatannach Welsh: Brythonig

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Hebrew: (please verify) בריטי‎ (he) m (brit'i), (please verify) בריטית‎ f (brit'it)

References

1. Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “British”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.