British Empire

NOUN

british commonwealth of nations

Synonyms

WEAK

Britain Commonwealth of Nations England United Kingdom perfidious Albion the Commonwealth

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In 1965, when the Beatles were named members of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Paul McCartney told the press that the initials M.B.E. stood for Mr. Brian Epstein.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

The Trump administration is seeking to have his image on a $250 bill to celebrate the country's 250th anniversary since independence from the British Empire.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

The war was fought between 1899 and 1902 between the British Empire and the two independent Boer states who were vying for control of South Africa.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

The stolen items were from the collection of the former British Empire & Commonwealth Museum, which was donated to the Bristol Museum after its liquidation in 2013.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

And Britain had declared a state of war throughout the vast British Empire.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman