Meanings
- UKgovernmentThe fact of the United Kingdom remaining in the European Union.
"We want Britain to remain in the EU. We want not "Brexit" but "Bremain"."
2015 June 22, David Milliken, “U.S. and EU face 'heavy lift' to get trade deal: EU ambassador”, in Reuters3 more examples
Like the old Tory trouper Michael Heseltine, I think we can rule out him leading the “Outers.” For Brexit, read Bremain.
2015 October 8, Paul Routledge, “Europe referendum is the big political issue – but where do the parties stand?”, in The MirrorBrexit or Bremain? That is the question British voters may have to answer in just five months’ time on 23 June, if David Cameron’s renegotiation ends with a deal at the EU summit in February.
2016 February 21, Timothy Garton Ash, “Whether Brexit or Bremain, fear will triumph over fear”, in The GuardianBut today the disconnect was heightened further as London's army of Bremain-backing resident called on the city's new mayor Sadiq Khan, to declare Greater London and its nine million population an independent state.
2016 June 25, Jon Austin, “Could London become an EU state? Calls for independence after capital votes to Bremain”, in Express
present singular third person Bremains · participle present Bremaining · participle past Bremained · past Bremained
- To remain in the European Union.
If England were to finally end 50 years of hurt in Paris on 10 July, would we be happy to have Bremained, or sad to have Brexited?
2016 June 9, Steve Busfield, “Euro 2016: Bloated, protracted and boring - why the summer tournament could be the worst yet”, in International Business Times2 more examples
Bremaining is perceived as a young person’s interest, with Brexiting supposedly the preserve of grumpy oldsters who are moreover more schooled in the tiresome pencil-and-paper business of voting, as opposed to liking, RT-ing, etc.
2016 June 8, Steve Richards, “Harry Potter play exposes the social apartheid in our theatre”, in The GuardianHitzig, who voted to Bremain, now works in fundraising for the City of London Sinfonia and is worried that the arts sector will suffer if corporate donors leave, putting her job at risk.
2016 June 24, Sunny Freeman, “Brexit closes gateway to Europe for Canadian companies”, in Toronto Star
Origin
Blend of Britain + remain, by analogy with Brexit.
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
Bremain. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bremain
“Bremain.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bremain. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Bremain,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bremain.
Source: Bremain on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.