Definition

Proper noun: 1. A sovereign country in northwestern Europe: The United Kingdom is a political union comprising four constituent countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Its full official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 2. A constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy: The United Kingdom is governed by a monarch as head of state and a parliament based in London.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • London is the capital city of the United Kingdom.
  • The United Kingdom left the European Union in 2020.
  • She is a citizen of the United Kingdom.

Advanced Usage

• "the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland": The full formal title of the state.
  • The official name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
• "the UK": A common abbreviation.
  • I live in the UK.

Variants and Related Words

• UK (abbreviation, proper noun): The standard short form for the United Kingdom.
  • The UK government made an announcement.
• Great Britain (proper noun): A geographical term for the island containing England, Scotland, and Wales. Often used informally to mean the United Kingdom, though this is not technically precise.
  • Great Britain has a long coastline.
• British (adjective): Relating to the United Kingdom or its people.
  • He holds a British passport.

Synonyms

• Britain (informal, proper noun): Often used conversationally to refer to the United Kingdom.
  • I'm travelling to Britain next month.
• The British Isles (geographical term, proper noun): The archipelago containing Great Britain, Ireland, and many smaller islands. This is a geographical, not a political, term.

Related Phrases

• Made in the UK: A phrase indicating a product's origin.
  • This car was made in the UK.
• UK-wide: Affecting or applying to the entire United Kingdom.
  • It was a UK-wide policy.

Noun

1. a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; `Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom