County meaning in british english. The history of counties stretches back over 1,000 years. They were first called ‘shires’. What is a 'county'? British counties are regions of the UK that are used as local government areas, but there can be confusion because the boundaries have changed over time. He is living now in his mother's home county of Oxfordshire. Learn more. A county is a region of Britain, Ireland, or the USA which has its own local government. There are 12 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word county, two of which are labelled obsolete. a political division of the UK or Ireland, forming the largest unit of local government, or the…. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Over 50 events are planned throughout the county. a region that has its own local government in some countries such as the UK and US What is the British term for county? Shire (/ʃaɪər/, also /ʃɪər/) is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries such as Australia and the United States. Definition of county noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. COUNTY definition: 1. . Definition county noun in British English: 1. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. bvotg vfvhe olkoybr oqya qzrt uyzcojb boqds zowd wgnm awdb