Glossary

A–Z of Life in the UK test terms

Short, plain-English definitions of the people, places, acts, and institutions that appear on the Life in the UK test. Use the letter jumps or search (⌘F) to find a term.

A

Act of Union#: The 1707 law that united the kingdoms of England and Scotland, creating the Kingdom of Great Britain.

B

Bailiwick#: A Crown Dependency — Jersey and Guernsey are each called a bailiwick. They are not part of the UK but are linked to it through the Crown.
Battle of Hastings#: The 1066 battle in which William the Conqueror defeated King Harold, beginning the Norman conquest of England.
Bill of Rights#: The 1689 law that confirmed the rights of Parliament and set limits on the power of the monarch after the Glorious Revolution.
Black Death#: A devastating plague that reached Britain in 1348, killing roughly one-third of the population.

C

Cabinet#: A small group of senior ministers, chosen by the Prime Minister, who make key government decisions and are responsible for each government department.
Chancellor of the Exchequer#: The minister responsible for the economy and public finances. Roughly equivalent to a finance minister in other countries.
Chequers#: The Prime Minister's country house, used for weekend breaks and for hosting foreign visitors.
Civil Service#: The body of government officials who support the government in developing and implementing policy. Civil servants are politically neutral and chosen on merit.
Commonwealth#: An association of countries, most of which were once part of the British Empire, that support each other and work together on shared goals.
Crown Dependencies#: The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. They are not part of the UK but are self-governing territories linked to the Crown.

D

Devolved administrations#: The governments of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, which have their own powers over some domestic matters such as education and health.
Domesday Book#: A detailed survey of land and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086.

E

Emancipation Act#: The 1833 law that abolished slavery throughout the British Empire. William Wilberforce was a leading campaigner.
English Civil War#: The 1642–1651 conflict between supporters of King Charles I and Parliament. It led to the king's execution and a brief republic under Oliver Cromwell.
Equality Act 2010#: The law that protects people in the UK from discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender reassignment.

F

First past the post#: The voting system used for UK general elections: in each constituency, the candidate with the most votes wins the seat.

G

Glorious Revolution#: The 1688 overthrow of King James II by William of Orange, which led to the establishment of constitutional monarchy in Britain.

H

Habeas Corpus Act#: The 1679 law that forbids unlawful imprisonment and guarantees that a person must be brought before a court after being detained.
Hadrian's Wall#: A wall built by the Romans across the north of Britain in the second century AD to keep out the Picts of Scotland.
Hansard#: The official report of debates in the UK Parliament, published daily.
House of Commons#: The elected lower house of Parliament. Members (MPs) are elected by the public to represent constituencies across the UK.
House of Lords#: The upper house of Parliament. Its members are not elected — they include life peers, bishops, and a small number of hereditary peers. It reviews laws proposed by the Commons.
Hundred Years War#: A long series of conflicts between England and France from 1337 to 1453. It ended with the English losing most of their territory in France.

I

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)#: Permission to live in the UK without any time limit. Most routes to ILR require passing the Life in the UK test.

J

Jury#: A group of citizens who decide the outcome of serious criminal cases in Crown Courts in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

L

Life peer#: A member of the House of Lords appointed for life, not by inheritance. The title does not pass to their children.

M

Magna Carta#: The 'Great Charter' signed by King John in 1215 at Runnymede. It limited the power of the king and set out basic rights.
Mayflower#: The ship that carried the Pilgrim Fathers from Plymouth to North America in 1620.
Monarch#: The king or queen. The UK is a constitutional monarchy — the monarch is head of state but does not rule the country.

N

Northern Ireland Assembly#: The devolved legislature for Northern Ireland, established under the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement of 1998.

P

Parliament#: The UK's supreme law-making body, made up of the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and the monarch.
Plantagenets#: The royal house that ruled England from 1154 to 1485, including kings such as Henry II, Richard I, and Edward I.
Prime Minister (PM)#: The head of the UK government, usually the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons. The PM lives at 10 Downing Street.
Privy Council#: A formal body of advisers to the monarch, made up of senior politicians and other figures. It meets to approve some official acts of government.
Proms#: An eight-week summer season of classical music concerts held mainly at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

R

Reform Act#: The 1832 law that reformed the UK electoral system, abolished 'rotten boroughs', and gave more parliamentary seats to growing towns and cities.
Rule of law#: A fundamental British value: everyone, including people in power, must obey the law and is equal before it.

S

Scottish Parliament#: The devolved legislature for Scotland, established in 1999. It meets at Holyrood in Edinburgh.
Senedd#: The Welsh Parliament, based in Cardiff. It has power over devolved matters such as education and health in Wales.
Speaker#: The MP who chairs debates in the House of Commons. The Speaker is politically neutral once elected to the role.
Suffragettes#: Women who campaigned for the right to vote in the early 20th century, led by figures such as Emmeline Pankhurst.

T

Tudors#: The royal house that ruled England and Wales from 1485 to 1603, including Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

U

Union flag#: The national flag of the UK, combining the crosses of St George (England), St Andrew (Scotland), and St Patrick (Ireland).
United Kingdom#: The political union of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Its full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

V

Vikings#: Seafarers from Denmark and Norway who raided and later settled parts of Britain from the 8th century onwards.

W

Welsh Assembly#: The former name of the Welsh Parliament (Senedd), the devolved legislature for Wales.
Whigs and Tories#: Two political groupings that emerged in the late 17th century. They were the forerunners of the modern Liberal and Conservative parties.

Keep learning

Take a quick review or a timed mock.

Glossary terms turn into recall questions on your mock tests — the fastest way to cement them.

See quick facts Take a mock test