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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Brexit

The Observer splashes on Andy Burnham's "road back from Brexit" alongside an image of the prime minister with the stars from the EU flag apparently reflected in his glasses.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

Fifa rules state that international transfers of players are only permitted if the player is over 18 and, since Brexit, Premier League clubs are no longer permitted to sign players under 18 from European countries.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 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

Macron played an instrumental role over nearly a decade in pushing for the tapestry loan, which is viewed as another step towards healing the rancour of the Brexit years.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026