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deus ex machina

[ dey-uh s eks mah-kuh-nuh, dee-uh s eks mak-uh-nuh ]
/ ˈdeɪ əs ɛks ˈmɑ kə nə, ˈdi əs ɛks ˈmæk ə nə /
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR deus ex machina ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

(in ancient Greek and Roman drama) a god introduced into a play to resolve the entanglements of the plot.
any artificial or improbable device resolving the difficulties of a plot.

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RELATED WORDS

contrivance, device, gimmick

Nearby words

  1. deuces wild,
  2. deunionize,
  3. deurbanize,
  4. deurne,
  5. deus,
  6. deus ramos,
  7. deus vobiscum,
  8. deus vult,
  9. deusdedit,
  10. deut.

Origin of deus ex machina

1690–1700; < New Latin literally, god from a machine (i.e., stage machinery from which a deity's statue was lowered), as translation of Greek apò mēchanês theós (Demosthenes), theòs ek mēchanês (Menander), etc.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for deus ex machina

deus ex machina

/ Latin (ˈdeɪʊs ɛks ˈmækɪnə) /

noun

(in ancient Greek and Roman drama) a god introduced into a play to resolve the plot
any unlikely or artificial device serving this purpose

Word Origin for deus ex machina

literally: god out of a machine, translating Greek theos ek mēkhanēs
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for deus ex machina

deus ex machina

n.

1690s, from Modern Latin translation of Greek theos ek mekhanes, literally "the god from the machina," the device by which "gods" were suspended over the stage in Greek theater (see machine). The fem. is dea ex machina.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper