noun

• 1A native or inhabitant of Great Britain, or a person of British descent.

  ‘Standing on a stage and also visible on a huge TV screen overlooking the square, Mr Netanyahu thanked British Jews and all Britons for their support.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Ten days before the general election an NOP poll showed that 60% of Britons wanted British troops out by the end of this year.’
  • ‘Hundreds of Britons besieged the British Embassy.’
  • ‘Sixty-nine Britons or British companies are listed.’
  • ‘There's a very good reason that the many Britons who settle in British Columbia come to the island and make their homes in Victoria.’
  • ‘The big cheques were signed by Britons or British-based entrepreneurs.’

• 2A Celtic inhabitant of southern Britain before and during Roman times.

  ‘When the Romans left Britain, the Britons did not use their roads.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Another option is to test for interaction between Roman soldiers and local Britons, by searching for African DNA in the local gene pool.’
  • ‘In 406 and 409 the Britons rebelled against Roman rule.’
  • ‘By ad 80, according to Tacitus, the Britons were widely adopting Roman fashion in housing, clothing, language, and diet.’
  • ‘Unlike the armoured Romans, Britons mostly wore little or no body protection and depended on speed, impetus, and the long slashing sword.’
  • ‘However, the Romans fought off the Britons who withdrew.’
  • ‘Imposing as it was, the colonia must have been a constant reminder to the Britons of Roman rule and military dominance.’
  • ‘At least in its outward forms, this religion does not look so very different from that of the pagan Britons under Roman rule.’
  • ‘The Roman conquest of southern Britain was a highly significant event which set Briton against Briton.’
  • ‘At the decisive Battle of Medway it was he who crossed the river at the head of both his legion and a band of ‘Celtic’ auxiliaries, and routed the Britons.’
  • ‘Historians believe that these rolls predate the faith, and began with ancient Greeks, Romans, and Britons.’
  • ‘In this story the Britons and Romans were defeated by the Saxons and sailed away to South America to start a civilisation called Roman America.’
  • ‘We are more like the Britons, with the Romans preparing to leave.’
  • ‘However, historians do accept that it was a major victory for the Romans that once again asserted their authority over the Britons.’
  • ‘This was told in several impressive episodes, from primeval Britons through Romans, Saxons and Stuarts.’
  • ‘That said, it is clear that some time in the 5th century the Britons broke away at last from Roman central authority.’
  • ‘David Shotter mentions it briefly in his book, Romans and Britons in North West England.’
  • ‘There is evidence that Arthur was a Romano-British Soldier - the child of a mixed marriage between a Roman and a Briton.’
  • ‘One other effect this had was to cause many Britons to leave these shores for northern Gaul, turning the peninsula of Armorica into Brittany.’
  • ‘Even in north western England there were plenty of Picts and probably settlements of Irish raiders who were the real enemies of the Britons at the beginning of the Saxon incursion.’