Brexit — English Dictionary

Proper noun

1. Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

   Usage

   • UK usage

   Antonyms

   Bremain

   Narrower terms

   hard Brexitsoft Brexit

   Examples

   More examples (4)

   Unless a clear view is pushed that Britain must lead in Europe at the very least to achieve the completion of the single market then the portmanteau for Greek euro exit might be followed by another sad word, Brexit.

   The business community began to take the idea of Brexit seriously. Three major American banks, the Bank of America, Citibank and Morgan Stanley, revealed they were working on contingency plans to relocate from London to Dublin […]

   David Cameron has resigned as Prime Minister after Britain voted to leave the European Union. It followed a turbulent night with Remain campaigners quietly confident until the early hours when results from Newcastle and Sunderland showed better than expected returns for the Brexit camp. A surprise victory for a Brexit in Swansea, which was expected to vote to Remain, did little to dampen concerns despite Scotland overwhelmingly backing staying in the Union.

   The pensions of British Eurocrats are shaping up to be one of the most politically poisonous points in the UK’s Brexit talks, as the EU and London prepare to clash over liabilities running to several billion euros.

   We must lift the uncertainty caused by Brexit.

   More examples (3)

   [Donald] Tusk said: “Our agreement will not make trade between the UK and the EU frictionless or smoother. It will make it more complicated and costly than today, for all of us. This is the essence of Brexit.”

   Meanwhile, The Sunday Times revealed that civil servants had warned of a “Doomsday Brexit” if no agreement is reached, creating shortages of medicine, fuel and food.

   “It’s all incredibly unhelpful and what we need to do now is to get closer with our European partners and work out what a realistic, pragmatic Brexit is that works for both sides, the EU and ourselves.”

   A further referendum is not just a way for voters to decide whether to incur the economic and social cost of a final Brexit deal.

   More examples (10)

   The EESC also considers that the €5.4 billion reserve will not be sufficient to mitigate the negative effects of Brexit and asks the co-legislators to increase the proposed ceiling.

   Brexit has also made it harder for the UK to deport migrants back to the EU as the country has left the bloc’s asylum scheme.

   Thanks to Brexit, many ferry companies now run direct from Ireland to the EU mainland, bypassing UK ports such as Fishguard, with an impact on traffic.

   Even the BBC, long prevaricating on the issue, has started properly reporting the Brexit catastrophe, particularly its impact on the cost of living, NHS staff shortages and projections of weak future economic growth.

   Biden’s irritation with London’s inability to solve its “Irish question” after Brexit has also played a role.

   The mayor of London has urged EU citizens to “choose London” over other European cities, promising to make the UK capital a better place to live and work despite Brexit.

   The Brexit referendum seemingly heralded such a moment but other than the negative sentiment of leave, the more positive agenda of what to do with the UK’s newfound status has been found wanting.

   The Brits have been uniquely incompetent in wallowing in narcissistic irrelevance ever since the Brexit vote. They’ve refused to admit that the only path forward for them is a crippling deal with the United States that will give them access to the NAFTA system but at the cost of any kind of economic sovereignty.

   Brussels has warned the UK that it must fully apply the existing Brexit deals on EU citizens and Northern Ireland before it will entertain a reset in the relationship with London.

   However, experts say it is increasingly clear that Brexit has played a significant role, exacerbating the post-2008 slump by hitting sectors with EU ties, and as the political turmoil led businesses to put investments on ice.

Verb

1. To exit the European Union.

   Usage

   • of Britain

   Examples

   Brexiting the EU, not leaving Europe

   More examples (1)

   [Nigel] Farage recalls: What was clear from that polling was that in June 2015 the most trusted person in the country on whether to Brexit or not to Brexit was David Cameron.

   Parisiens I had talked to were universally disgusted: with David Cameron, for holding the vote; with the British, for Brexiting; […]

2. To exit, to leave (e.g. a romantic relationship).

   Usage

   • broadly
   • Slang