Great Britain

== English == === Etymology === Of the island of Great Britain, to disambiguate Britain from Brittany, i.e. Lesser Britain. From Middle English Great Brittaigne, Grete Britaigne, Grete breteygne, grete Bretayne, grete breteyne, paralleling Anglo-Norman Grande Brettayne and c. 12th-century Medieval Latin Britannia Maior. Equivalent to Great +‎ Britain. King James VI and I in 1604 proclaimed himself “King of Great Britain, France and Ireland”. === Pronunciation === === Proper noun === Great Britain A large island (sometimes also including some of the surrounding smaller islands) off the north-west coast of Western Europe, made up of England, Scotland, and Wales. Synonyms: GB, (literary, Arthurian, rare) Gramarye Holonym: British Isles (loosely) The United Kingdom, a kingdom and country in Northern Europe including the island of Great Britain as well as Northern Ireland on the northeastern portion of the island of Ireland. (historical) A former kingdom existing on the island of Great Britain from 1707 to 1801, consisting of England, Scotland and Wales; it was in personal union with the Kingdom of Ireland and later merged with it. Official name: Kingdom of Great Britain. (politics, law) England, Scotland and Wales in combination, to the exclusion of Northern Ireland. (sports) The United Kingdom national team (often inclusive of Northern Ireland). ==== Derived terms ==== Kingdom of Great Britain GB Great Britainer Team GB ==== Related terms ==== Little Britain ==== Translations ==== === See also === United Kingdom === Further reading === “Great Britain”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. “Great Britain”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.