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Glite Dictionary
Briticism

Briticism

1 8.8
A word or phrase people use mainly in British English instead of American English
  • noun
  • /ˈbrɪtɪsɪzəm/
: briticismo
  • Many dictionaries include the word Briticism to highlight its usage in British English.

Examples

  • I continue to believe this phrase is a Briticism, but I don't know how long it's been around over there.

    Blog text (2)

  • The term Briticism often describes phrases that are unique to British culture.

  • One Briticism I find very useful in referring to things like baby talk is "twee"—much better than "cutesy."

    Blog text (11)

  • Understanding a Briticism can enrich your knowledge of British idiomatic expressions.

Synonyms

Britishism
vsBriticism
1 8.8

A word or phrase used mainly in British English, not American English

is an alternative label for the same usage rather than a different sense
Anglicism
vsBriticism
  • UK
1 8.5

A word or phrase taken from English into another language

focuses on forms that mark the United Kingdom variety of English versus American usage

Surface Forms

Briticism singular
Briticisms plural

Morphology

Briticism = Britic (semi-transparent) = Brit + ic + ism

The word is formed by adding -ism to a British-related base, but the resulting meaning is a specialized label for characteristic British expressions rather than a fully predictable abstract noun.

Etymology

Briticism comes from Britain, meaning 'the country Britain', and the ending -ism, a way to name a habit or style of speech. So a Briticism is simply a word or phrase that is a 'British' way of saying something, like 'lorry' for 'truck'.