Little Englander
Preserved but no longer current.
One who would rather see England small, contented, and as self-con- tained as possible than have her the head of a W9rld-wide Empire, the possession of which might be a source of trouble and danger to her; the opposite to an Imperialist. The term was in use at the time of the South African War of 1899-1902.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Little Englander” mean?
One who would rather see England small, contented, and as self-con- tained as possible than have her the head of a W9rld-wide Empire, the possession of which might be a source of trouble and danger to her; the opposite to an Imperialist. The term was in use at the time of the South African War of 1899-1902.
Is “Little Englander” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.