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.
Avian flu, cost-cutting and Brexit are among the reasons behind the transfer of captive birds from one of Northern Ireland's best-known wildlife sites, according to the charity that runs it.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Earlier this year, he said Brexit had been "damaging" but "the last thing we should do right now is re-run those arguments".
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 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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