Meanings
- EUgovernmentArticle 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon which holds the EU's exit clause, allowing and setting out rules for countries leaving the European Union.
If the Liberal Democrats were to secure a majority in December, they would revoke Article 50, cancelling Brexit.
2019 November 24, Stephen Wynn-Davies, “Hastings and Rye candidates outline their stances on Brexit”, in The Hastings Observer3 more examples
Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty sets out how an EU country might voluntarily leave the union. The wording is vague, almost as if the drafters thought it unlikely it would ever come into play.
2016 June 25, Jennifer Rankin, Julian Borger, Mark Rice-Oxley, “What is article 50 and why is it so central to the Brexit debate?”, in The GuardianThe Scottish cross-bench peer who wrote Article 50 - the procedure by which the UK would leave the EU - believed it was "not irrevocable". In a BBC interview, Lord Kerr of Kinlochard said the UK could choose to stay in the EU even after exit negotiations had begun.
2016 November 3, Glenn Campbell, “Article 50 author Lord Kerr says Brexit not inevitable”, in BBC NewsToday, therefore, I am writing to give effect to the democratic decision of the people of the United Kingdom. I hereby notify the European Council in accordance with Article 50 (2) of the Treaty on European Union of the United Kingdom’s intention to withdraw from the European Union.
2017 March 29, Theresa May, Theresa May’s Letter Invoking Article 50
Cite this entry
Article 50. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Article%2050
“Article 50.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Article%2050. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Article 50,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Article%2050.
Source: Article 50 on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.