Briton

noun

Brit·​on ˈbri-tᵊn How to pronounce Briton (audio)
1
: a member of one of the peoples inhabiting Britain prior to the Anglo-Saxon invasions
2
: a native or subject of Great Britain
especially : englishman

Examples of Briton in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Briton had essentially driven in the dark (no pun intended, considering the Bahrain GP is a night race). Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025 Arthur has been depicted as a legendary Briton king for several centuries, though his existence has been doubted by most historians. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 13 Apr. 2025 The 31-year-old Briton, who plays Chelsea, a fan favorite character on the hit HBO show, spoke to British GQ about all the commentary on her appearance – especially her prominent overbite. Rosa Rahimi, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025 Dozens of others were convicted after the coup attempt, a majority of them Congolese but also including a Briton, a Belgian and a Canadian. Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2025 The Briton denied all claims made against him, which date between 2006 and 2013, when Brand was at the height of his fame working on Big Brother’s Big Mouth, Kings of Comedy and Big Brother’s Celebrity Hijack. Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 4 Apr. 2025 And the Briton acknowledged getting acquainted with a new car was not a simple process, particular in terms of learning the finer technicalities of his SF-25. Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025 The Briton cruised his way to victory, starkly contrasting Ferrari’s pace in Australia. Luke Smith, The Athletic, 22 Mar. 2025 The Briton parted ways with her latest coach, Vladimir Platenik, after only a fortnight’s trial on the eve of the Miami opener. Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Breton, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, from Latin Britton-, Britto, of Celtic origin; akin to Welsh Brython

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Briton was in the 13th century

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Cite this Entry

“Briton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Briton. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

Briton

noun
Brit·​on ˈbrit-ən How to pronounce Briton (audio)
1
: a member of one of the peoples living in Britain before the Anglo-Saxon invasions
2

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