British Expeditionary Force Syllabification: (Brit·ish Ex·pe·di·tion·ar·y Force) (abbreviation: BEF)Definition of British Expeditionary Force a British force made available by the army reform of 1908 for service overseas against foreign countries. Such forces were sent to France at the outbreak of both world wars. British Expeditionary Force in other Oxford dictionaries Definition of British Expeditionary Force in the British & World English dictionary