Brexit, YouTuber and Bama among new words in Oxford English Dictionary

Politics, business and social media coin 2016’s official additions to the English language – and, naturally, Beyoncé has a hand in it too

Brexit may mean Brexit to Theresa May, but the Oxford English Dictionary has come to the aid of those who wish for a less opaque definition. The word is among 1,500 new words added to the dictionary this week.

OED editors steered clear of political controversy by defining the process of Brexit rather than its consequences or implementation. The definition reads: “The (proposed) withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, and the political process associated with it. Sometimes used specifically with reference to the referendum held in the UK on 23 June 2016, in which a majority of voters favoured withdrawal from the EU.”

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