British Isles terminology
Map showing the terminology commonly used to describe the British Isles, the United Kingdom, Great Britain, and Ireland. The terms used here are a mixture of geographic and political labels.
Great Britain
island, Europe
Also known as: Britain
- Also called:
- Britain
News •
Britain will lower its voting age to 16 in a bid to strengthen democracy
• July 17, 2025, 7:49 AM ET (AP)
How an email error sparked a secret scramble to bring thousands of Afghans to Britain
• July 16, 2025, 9:03 PM ET (AP)
The UK says thousands of Afghans have been brought to Britain under a secret resettlement program
• July 15, 2025, 9:50 AM ET (AP)
UK arrests four people over cyber attacks on Marks & Spencer, Co-op and Harrods
• July 10, 2025, 9:48 AM ET (AP)
UK foreign secretary visits Syria, renewing ties after 14 years of conflict
• July 5, 2025, 2:29 PM ET (AP)
The difference between Great Britain and the United KingdomBritain. Great Britain. The United Kingdom. The British Isles.
See all videos for this articleGreat Britain, island lying to the east of the island of Ireland and off the northwestern coast of Europe. It consists of England, Scotland, and Wales. Great Britain is part of the British Isles, together with the island of Ireland as well as smaller islands and island groups.
The term Great Britain, which this article uses as a geographic designation, is often used as a synonym for the United Kingdom, a political entity that includes England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales and that was once part of the British Empire.