Brexit

American  

[breg-zit, brek-sit] / ˈbrɛg zɪt, ˈbrɛk sɪt /

noun

1. the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from membership in the European Union.

2. the nonbinding national referendum in 2016 that resulted in a vote for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union.

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Etymology

Origin of Brexit

First recorded in 2012; (originally also spelled Brixit , referencing Britain's possible withdrawal); Br(itain) ( def. ) or Br(itish) ( def. ) + exit ¹ ( def. ); probably patterned on Grexit ( def. ), which dates from earlier that year

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Brexit

Sir Olly, who was appointed to the Foreign Office job in early 2025, has held a number of senior civil service roles and was previously the government's lead official during Brexit negotiations with the EU.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Burnham did not provide further details about the type or extent of Moscow's activity during the Brexit referendum.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

He was a supporter of Brexit but has been a tax resident in Monaco since 2020.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Farage, a longtime Trump supporter who helped spearhead Brexit, defended Musk online against critics and described him as a crucial ally against the mainstream media.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

However, Deluard said, the low exposure means that the selloff of British assets after the Brexit referendum in June 2016 is “exhausted.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

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