British Isles

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English[edit]

Satellite image showing the British Isles.

Etymology[edit]

From British (“relating to Britons, Britain, or the Britains”) + isles (“islands”).[1] Compare Ancient Greek Βρεττανίδες νῆσοι (Brettanídes nêsoi) and Latin Britannicae insulae (“British islands”).

Pronunciation[edit]

Proper noun[edit]

the British Isles pl

  2. An archipelago in Northern Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, Anglesey, the Isle of Man, the Isle of Wight, the Hebrides, the Shetland Islands, the Orkney Islands, the Isles of Scilly, the Channel Islands and many smaller islands.[2]

Usage notes[edit]

  • The name is usually applied in a geographical or territorial sense, rather than as a term for a political unit. In Ireland, some prefer not to use the term.[3] Use may exclude the Channel Islands, which are closer to mainland Europe than to the other islands.

Synonyms[edit]

See Thesaurus:British Isles.

Translations[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ “British Isles, n.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2021
  2. ^ “British Isles, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  3. ^ “British Isles, n.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2021
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