deus ex machina

[ dey-uhs eks mah-kuh-nuh, dee-uhs eks mak-uh-nuh ]

/ ˈdeɪ əs ɛks ˈmɑ kə nə, ˈdi əs ɛks ˈmæk ə nə /

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See 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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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.

Words nearby deus ex machina

deunionize, deurbanize, Deurne, Deus, Deusdedit, deus ex machina, Deus Ramos, Deus vobiscum, Deus vult, Deut., deuter-

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use deus ex machina in a sentence

However, legal issues are only one of the things standing between an ex-prisoner and a job.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside|Justin Rohrlich|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But almost to the man, the first thing every ex-con tells me is how hard it is to find work.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside|Justin Rohrlich|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
For Randy, a 50-year-old ex-Mormon gay man, this cure was a particularly bitter pill to swallow.
Your Husband Is Definitely Gay: TLC’s Painful Portrait of Mormonism|Samantha Allen|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
EURO was founded by David Duke, the ex-Klansman who ran for Louisiana governor in 1991.
Racists Melt Down Over Steve Scalise|Emily Shire|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

According to the friend, Brinsley rang his ex-girlfriend, an Air Force reservist named Shaneka Thompson, to no avail.
Alleged Cop Killer’s Blood-Soaked Screenplay|M.L. Nestel|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The expatriated ex-rebels became alarmed by the non-receipt of the indemnity instalment and the news from their homes.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
Ea & hreticorum repulit iniquitatem, & Nostros in nauim non iam vt hospites, sed vt magna ex parte Dominos, potentsq imposuit.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Ex quibus apparet, qum multa omnis generis perferenda fuerint.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Seqvitvr iam ex initio propositis tertium, nimirum vt exponatur, quonam tand loco rem Christianam his in locis offenderimus.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
He evinced the opposite of the temper usually ascribed to the “Shepherd-boy” —a birth-date by Ex.
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)

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

deus ex machina

Origin of deus ex machina

Words nearby deus ex machina

Words related to deus ex machina

How to use deus ex machina in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for deus ex machina

Word Origin for deus ex machina