deus ex machina

American  

[dey-uhs eks mah-kuh-nuh, dee-uhs eks mak-uh-nuh] / ˈdeɪ əs ɛks ˈmɑ kə nə, ˈdi əs ɛks ˈmæk ə nə /

noun

1. (in ancient Greek and Roman drama) a god introduced into a play to resolve the entanglements of the plot.

2. any artificial or improbable device resolving the difficulties of a plot.

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deus ex machina British  

/ ˈdeɪʊs ɛks ˈmækɪnə /

noun

1. (in ancient Greek and Roman drama) a god introduced into a play to resolve the plot

2. any unlikely or artificial device serving this purpose

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Etymology

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.

Example Sentences

Although some have deluded themselves into thinking the contrary, there will be no deus ex machina moment to stop this from happening.

From Salon • Dec. 10, 2024

A kind of deus ex machina, he pops into the novel at key points, offering incredible amounts of money like a possibly sinister fairy godmother in a Brothers Grimm tale.

From Seattle Times • May 15, 2024

The production, which was at the Park Avenue Armory earlier this season, has arrived at the St. James Theatre in the role of deus ex machina, rescuing Broadway from its hidebound habits.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2024

When Seven and Raffi figure out a way to transport assimilated crew members off the bridge using phaser rifles, it’s quite the deus ex machina.

From New York Times • Apr. 20, 2023

At least the texts, while not exactly a deus ex machina, reveal a stark truth: Kareem isn’t the one.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed