England

IPA/ˈɪŋɡlənd/
KK[ˈɪŋɡlənd]IPA/ˈɪŋɡlənd/

England — geographical name

1. the largest country within the United Kingdom, covering the southern part of the

1.geographical nameA2
Definition

the largest country within the United Kingdom, covering the southern part of the island of Great Britain, with London as its capital city and a long coastline facing the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Example

Gabriela moved to England last year to study literature at the University of Oxford.

proper noun as destination after 'to'

The southern coast of England has some of the warmest beaches in the country.

geographical reference: coast of England

Common collocations
  • the south of England
  • the north of England
  • the coast of England
  • in England
  • from England
  • northern England
  • southern England
  • eastern England
  • western England

Grammar Patterns

England + verb (singular)

Usage Note

Always written with an initial capital letter. In sports contexts, 'England' refers to the national team representing the country.

Common Mistakes

England visited Paris last summer.
We visited Paris last summer.
England is a country, not something that can travel. Use a person's name or 'we/they' instead.
I am from England, which is a city in the UK.
I am from England, which is a country in the UK.
England is a country, not a city.

England — noun

Word family

  • English
    adjectiveA1
  • Englishman
    nounB1
  • Englishwoman
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: geographical name/1

'England' names one specific country, while 'Britain' or 'Great Britain' refers to the whole island that contains England, Scotland, and Wales. 'The United Kingdom' (or 'the UK') is the political union that includes Great Britain plus Northern Ireland. Using 'England' to mean the whole UK is inaccurate and may offend people from Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland. For example: 'She lives in London, England' is correct when referring to the city's location within the country; 'She lives in the UK' is correct when referring to the state she belongs to.

Britain ↗Great Britainthe United Kingdomthe UK

Common collocations

Nouns

  • the south
  • the north
  • the coast
  • the countryside
  • the people
  • the government
  • the history
  • the team

Phrases

  • the whole of England
  • the King of England
  • the Bank of England
  • the Church of England
  • New England

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

The name 'England' comes from the Old English 'Engla land', meaning 'land of the Angles'. The Angles were one of the Germanic tribes that settled in Britain from the 5th century onward. The word 'Angle' itself may come from the Latin 'angulus' ('corner') — perhaps describing the shape of the region they originally came from in northern Germany.