Brexit
Americannoun
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the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from membership in the European Union.
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the nonbinding national referendum in 2016 that resulted in a vote for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union.
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
The unprecedented loan from France, the result of years of diplomacy and set to last until next July, has been hailed a symbol of renewed cross-Channel ties following the rancour of Brexit.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
In 2019, less than three years after the Brexit vote he supported had passed, Dyson announced he was moving headquarters to Singapore.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Carney, a former central bank governor in Canada and the U.K., earned praise for guiding those countries through the 2008 global financial crisis and Brexit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
This included posting a tweet featuring the slogan "Get Brexit Done" in Comic Sans, a font loathed by graphic designers.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
