British means relating to Great Britain or the United Kingdom, a country off the coast of mainland Europe that includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. When someone is British, they're a citizen of this country. British culture has influenced the world through its language (English), literature (from Shakespeare to The Chronicles of Narnia), science (Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin), and inventions (trains, telephones, the World Wide Web).

The British accent you hear in movies actually varies widely across the country: someone from London sounds very different from someone from Scotland or Wales. British spellings differ from American ones too: they write colour instead of color and favourite instead of favorite.

British history includes both remarkable achievements and serious wrongs. The British Empire once controlled vast territories around the world, spreading technology and institutions but also imposing its rule on people who hadn't asked for it. The American Revolution happened because colonists wanted independence from British rule.

Today, the United Kingdom remains an important ally of the United States, sharing a language and many values. When people talk about British food, they might mention fish and chips, tea time, or meat pies. British sports include cricket and rugby, games that spread worldwide from their origins in Britain.