ˌBritish ˈEmpire, the BrE AmE
the group of countries formerly connected with and controlled by Great Britain, which was at its largest at the time of World War I, when it included 25 per cent of the world's area
BRITISH EMPIRE
Meaning of BRITISH EMPIRE in English
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Longman - Словарь современного английского языка. 2012