noun
Brexit
BREHG-ziht
noun
1
The withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, completed in 2020 after a 2016 referendum.
"Brexit changed trade rules between the UK and the EU."
"Debates about Brexit dominated British politics for years."
How to Use Brexit
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe UK leaving the EU, and the political process and fallout around it.
Common pairings
post-Brexit
Brexit deal
Brexit negotiations
hard Brexit
Word Forms
Brexited past tense, Brexits singular
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_____ changed trade rules between the UK and the EU.
Etymology
A blend of "Britain" and "exit", coined in 2012 by analogy with the earlier term "Grexit" (a hypothetical Greek exit from the eurozone).