British Isles

UK, US/ˌbɹɪ.tɪʃ ˈaɪlz/

proper noun

An archipelago of 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.

OriginAncient Greek Βρεττανίδες νῆσοι ← Latin Britannicae insulae →
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Meanings

British Isles1

proper nounthe British Isles
  1. An archipelago of 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.

British Isles2

noun

    Synonyms & antonyms

    Also see
    islands of the north atlanticthese islands

    Origin

    1. LatinBritannicae insulae“British islands”
    2. Ancient GreekΒρεττανίδες νῆσοι
    3. EnglishBritish Isles

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

    More words from Ancient Greek, Latin

    Full word history & related roots →

    Translations

    Afrikaans Britse Eilande
    • Britse Eilandegroup of islands
    Ancient Greek Βρεττανίδες νῆσοι
    • Βρεττανίδες νῆσοι (Brettanídes nêsoi)group of islands
    Arabic اَلْجُزُر اَلْبِرِيطَانِيَّة
    • اَلْجُزُر اَلْبِرِيطَانِيَّة (al-juzur al-biriṭāniyya)group of islands
    Basque Britainiar uharteak
    • Britainiar uharteakgroup of islands
    Bulgarian Брита́нски о́строви
    • Брита́нски о́строви (Británski óstrovi)group of islands
    Catalan illes Britàniques
    • illes Britàniquesgroup of islands
    Chinese Mandarin 不列顛諸島 /不列颠诸岛, 英倫諸島 /英伦诸岛
    • 不列顛諸島 /不列颠诸岛 (Bùlièdiān zhūdǎo)group of islands
    • 英倫諸島 /英伦诸岛 (Yīnglún zhūdǎo)group of islands
    • 不列顛群島 /不列颠群岛 (Bùlièdiān qúndǎo)group of islands
    Czech Britské ostrovy
    • Britské ostrovygroup of islands
    Danish Britiske Øer
    • Britiske Øergroup of islands
    Dutch Britse Eilanden
    • Britse Eilandengroup of islands
    Esperanto Britaj Insuloj
    • Britaj Insulojgroup of islands
    Estonian Briti saared
    • Briti saaredgroup of islands
    Finnish Britteinsaaret
    • Britteinsaaretgroup of islands
    French les îles Britanniques
    • les îles Britanniquesgroup of islands
    German Britische Inseln
    • Britische Inselngroup of islands
    Greek Βρετανικά Νησιά
    • Βρετανικά Νησιά (Vretaniká Nisiá)group of islands
    Hebrew האיים הבריטיים
    • האיים הבריטיים (hiyim he-britiyim)group of islands
    Hindi ब्रिटिश द्वीप
    • ब्रिटिश द्वीप (briṭiś dvīp)group of islands
    Hungarian Brit-szigetek
    • Brit-szigetekgroup of islands
    Icelandic Bretlandseyjar
    • Bretlandseyjargroup of islands
    Indonesian Kepulauan Britania
    • Kepulauan Britaniagroup of islands
    Irish Éire agus an Bhreatain Mhór
    • Éire agus an Bhreatain Mhórgroup of islands
    Italian isole britanniche, arcipelago britannico
    • isole britannichegroup of islands
    • arcipelago britannicogroup of islands
    Japanese ブリテン諸島, イギリス諸島
    • ブリテン諸島 (Buriten-shotō)group of islands
    • イギリス諸島 (Igirisu-shotō)group of islands
    Korean 브리튼 제도, 영국 제도
    • 브리튼 제도 (Beuriteun jedo)group of islands
    • 영국 제도 (Yeongguk jedo)group of islands
    Latin Britannicae insulae, Britanniae
    • Britannicae insulaegroup of islands
    • Britanniaegroup of islands
    Latvian Britu salas
    • Britu salasgroup of islands
    Lithuanian Britų salos
    • Britų salosgroup of islands
    Malay Kepulauan British
    • Kepulauan Britishgroup of islands
    Norwegian Bokmål De britiske øyer
    • De britiske øyergroup of islands
    Persian جزایر بریتانیا
    • جزایر بریتانیا (jazâyer-e beritâniyâ)group of islands
    Polish Wyspy Brytyjskie
    • Wyspy Brytyjskiegroup of islands
    Portuguese Ilhas Britânicas
    • Ilhas Britânicasgroup of islands
    Romanian Insulele Britanice
    • Insulele Britanicegroup of islands
    Russian Брита́нские острова́
    • Брита́нские острова́ (Británskije ostrová)group of islands
    Slovak Britské ostrovy
    • Britské ostrovygroup of islands
    Spanish Islas Británicas
    • Islas Británicasgroup of islands
    Swedish Brittiska öarna
    • Brittiska öarnagroup of islands
    Thai บริติชไอลส์
    • บริติชไอลส์ (brì-dtìch-ai-ls)group of islands
    Turkish Britanya Adaları
    • Britanya Adalarıgroup of islands
    Ukrainian Брита́нські острови́
    • Брита́нські острови́ (Brytánsʹki ostrový)group of islands
    Vietnamese quần đảo Anh
    • quần đảo Anhgroup of islands
    Welsh Ynysoedd Prydain
    • Ynysoedd Prydaingroup of islands
    Yiddish בריטישע אינזלען
    • בריטישע אינזלען (britishe inzlen)group of islands
    Cite this entry
    APA

    British Isles. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/British%20Isles

    MLA

    “British Isles.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/British%20Isles. Accessed November 4, 2026.

    Chicago

    WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “British Isles,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/British%20Isles.

    Source: British Isles on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.