exile

American  

[eg-zahyl, ek-sahyl] / ˈɛg zaɪl, ˈɛk saɪl /

noun

1. expulsion from one's native land by authoritative decree.

2. the fact or state of expulsion from one's native land by authoritative decree.

   She had to live in exile.

3. a person banished from their native land.

4. prolonged separation from one's country or home, such as by force of circumstances.

   Many will suffer wartime exile.

5. anyone separated from their country or home voluntarily or by force of circumstances.

6. the Exile, the Babylonian captivity of the Jews, 597–538 b.c.

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verb (used with object)

exiled, exiling

1. to expel or banish (a person) from their country; expatriate.

   Synonyms:

   deport, eject, evict

2. to separate from country, home, etc..

   Disagreements exiled him from his family.

   Synonyms:

   deport, eject, evict

exile ¹ British  

/ ˈɛksaɪl, ɛɡˈzɪlɪk, ɛkˈsɪlɪk, ˈɛɡzaɪl /

noun

1. a prolonged, usually enforced absence from one's home or country; banishment

2. the expulsion of a person from his native land by official decree

3. a person banished or living away from his home or country; expatriate

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verb

1. to expel from home or country, esp by official decree as a punishment; banish

Exile ² British  

/ ˈɛɡzaɪl, ˈɛksaɪl /

noun

1. another name for Babylonian captivity

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Other Word Forms

• exilable adjective
• exiler noun
• exilic adjective
• quasi-exiled adjective
• unexiled adjective

Etymology

Origin of exile

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English exil “banishment,” from Latin ex(s)ilium, equivalent to exsul “banished person” + -ium -ium

Example Sentences

It was Tyndale’s personal encounter with the gospels that caused him to risk everything—exile, shame, poverty, imprisonment—to put the Bible into the hands of ordinary people.

From The Wall Street Journal

"We know every stage of its history, from Napoleon's exile on Saint Helena right up to the present day."

From Barron's

After being shot, Camara spent 12 years in exile before returning to face justice.

From BBC

Within two years, however, she had lost her re-election bid and spent 18 years in political exile, unsuccessfully running in nine state and federal elections until she was elected to the Senate in 2016.

From BBC

Since the revolution, Iranian exiles have thrived in the West, making their mark in business, science and the arts.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• banish
• displace
• drive out
• evacuate
• expel
• extradite
• ostracize
• oust
• outlaw
• relegate