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Definition of britannica

britannica

/brɪˈtæn.ɪ.kə/
bri · tan · ni · ca
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britannica Lexical Profile

• noun

1

The Encyclopædia Britannica, an authoritative general-knowledge English-language encyclopedia originally published in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1768.

Example

"Before the rise of the internet, students frequently consulted the Britannica in the school library for their research papers."

2

Historical, literary, or cultural artifacts, books, and collectibles relating to Great Britain and the British Isles.

Example

"The university library acquired a rare collection of eighteenth-century Britannica from a private estate."

• Nearby Words

brit
britain
britannia
britannica
britishness
briton
britons

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from Latin Britannica, the feminine singular or neuter plural form of the adjective Britannicus ('British'), derived from Britannia ('Britain').

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Britannica. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/britannica
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