Meanings
- A province in western Canada. Capital: Victoria. Largest city: Vancouver.
In that year [1871] British Columbia decided to become part of the Dominion of Canada, on condition that a transcontinental railway should be completed without delay.
1954 February, Trevor Holloway, “Canada's Transcontinental Routes”, in Railway Magazine, pages 127-128
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounA province in western Canada. Capital: Victoria. Largest city: Vancouver.
Origin
A name given by Queen Victoria when it became a British colony in 1858, referring to the Columbia District, a territory drained by the Columbia River.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans Brits-Columbië, Brits-Kolumbië
- Brits-Columbiëprovince of Canada
- Brits-Kolumbiëprovince of Canada
Arabic كُولُومْبِيَا اَلْبِرِيطَانِيَّة
- كُولُومْبِيَا اَلْبِرِيطَانِيَّة (kulumbiyā l-biriṭāniyya)province of Canada
Bengali বিলাতী কলম্বিয়া
- বিলাতী কলম্বিয়া (bilati kolombiẏa)province of Canada
Bulgarian Брита́нска Колу́мбия
- Брита́нска Колу́мбия (Británska Kolúmbija)province of Canada
Catalan Colúmbia Britànica
- Colúmbia Britànicaprovince of Canada
Chinese Cantonese 不列顛哥倫比亞 /不列颠哥伦比亚, 英屬哥倫比亞 /英属哥伦比亚
- 不列顛哥倫比亞 /不列颠哥伦比亚 (bat¹ lit⁶ din¹ go¹ leon⁴ bei² aa³)province of Canada
- 英屬哥倫比亞 /英属哥伦比亚 (jing¹ suk⁶ go¹ leon⁴ bei² aa³)province of Canada
- 卑詩 /卑诗 (bei¹ si¹)province of Canada
Chinese Mandarin 不列顛哥倫比亞 /不列颠哥伦比亚, 英屬哥倫比亞 /英属哥伦比亚
- 不列顛哥倫比亞 /不列颠哥伦比亚 (Bùlièdiān Gēlúnbǐyà)province of Canada
- 英屬哥倫比亞 /英属哥伦比亚 (Yīngshǔ Gēlúnbǐyà)province of Canada
Czech Britská Kolumbie
- Britská Kolumbieprovince of Canada
Danish Britisk Columbia
- Britisk Columbiaprovince of Canada
Dutch Brits-Columbia
- Brits-Columbiaprovince of Canada
Esperanto Brita Kolumbio
- Brita Kolumbioprovince of Canada
Estonian Briti Columbia
- Briti Columbiaprovince of Canada
Finnish Brittiläinen Kolumbia
- Brittiläinen Kolumbiaprovince of Canada
French Colombie-Britannique
- Colombie-Britanniqueprovince of Canada
German Britisch-Kolumbien, British Columbia
- Britisch-Kolumbienprovince of Canada
- British Columbiaprovince of Canada
Greek Βρετανική Κολομβία
- Βρετανική Κολομβία (Vretanikí Kolomvía)province of Canada
Hawaiian Kolumepia Pelekania
- Kolumepia Pelekaniaprovince of Canada
Hebrew קולומביה הבריטית
- קולומביה הבריטיתprovince of Canada
Hindi ब्रिटिश कोलंबिया
- ब्रिटिश कोलंबिया (briṭiś kolambiyā)province of Canada
Hungarian Brit Columbia
- Brit Columbiaprovince of Canada
Irish Colóim Bhriotanach
- Colóim Bhriotanachprovince of Canada
Italian Columbia Britannica
- Columbia Britannicaprovince of Canada
Japanese ブリティッシュ・コロンビア, 英領コロンビア
- ブリティッシュ・コロンビア (Buritisshu-Koronbia)province of Canada
- 英領コロンビア (Eiryō Koronbia)province of Canada
Korean 브리티시컬럼비아
- 브리티시컬럼비아 (Beuritisi Keolleombia)province of Canada
Latin Columbia Britannica
- Columbia Britannicaprovince of Canada
Latvian Britu Kolumbija
- Britu Kolumbijaprovince of Canada
Lithuanian Britų Kolumbija
- Britų Kolumbijaprovince of Canada
Norwegian Bokmål Britisk Columbia
- Britisk Columbiaprovince of Canada
Persian بریتیش کلمبیا
- بریتیش کلمبیاprovince of Canada
Polish Kolumbia Brytyjska
- Kolumbia Brytyjskaprovince of Canada
Portuguese Colúmbia Britânica
- Colúmbia Britânicaprovince of Canada
Romanian Columbia Britanică
- Columbia Britanicăprovince of Canada
Russian Брита́нская Колу́мбия
- Брита́нская Колу́мбия (Británskaja Kolúmbija)province of Canada
Slovak Britská Kolumbia
- Britská Kolumbiaprovince of Canada
Spanish Columbia Británica
- Columbia Británicaprovince of Canada
Swedish British Columbia
- British Columbiaprovince of Canada
Turkish Britanya Kolumbiyası
- Britanya Kolumbiyasıprovince of Canada
Ukrainian Британська Колумбія
- Британська Колумбія (Brytansʹka Kolumbija)province of Canada
Urdu برٹش کولمبیا
- برٹش کولمبیا (briṭiś kolambiyā)province of Canada
Cite this entry
British Columbia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/British%20Columbia
“British Columbia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/British%20Columbia. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “British Columbia,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/British%20Columbia.
Source: British Columbia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.