exile

[ eg-zahyl, ek-sahyl ]

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.

verb (used with object)

, ex·iled, ex·il·ing.

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

   Synonyms: eject, evict, deport

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

   Disagreements exiled him from his family.

   Synonyms: deport, eject, evict

Exile

¹

/ ˈɛksaɪl; ˈɛɡzaɪl /

noun

1. See Babylonian captivity
   the Exile
   the Exile another name for Babylonian captivity

exile

²

/ ɛkˈsɪlɪk; ˈɛksaɪl; ɛɡˈzɪlɪk; 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

verb

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

Derived Forms

• exilic, adjective

Other Words From

• exil·a·ble adjective
• exil·er noun
• quasi-exiled adjective
• un·exiled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of exile¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of exile¹

C13: from Latin exsilium banishment, from exsul banished person; perhaps related to Greek alasthai to wander

Example Sentences

It’s a story about Ireland and exile and carrying the ghosts of family and home through time.

From Washington Post

Michael then abandoned his profession and left the country, heading for England and a life of permanent, hopefully peaceful, exile.

From Washington Post

That fear has been significantly reduced since Gammeh’s defeat and subsequent exile.

From Ozy

Some exiles who used their wits to enter America were collaborators, even war criminals.

From Washington Post

For one, they’re without their head coach-in-exile, Dan Hughes, after he wasn’t approved, for medical reasons, to enter the bubble.

From FiveThirtyEight

A twinned, imagined narrative of a fictitious Fidel Castro and a Miami exile intent on assassinating him.

From The Daily Beast

After Olympic boxer Guillermo Rigondeux defected, his family suffered a form of domestic exile.

From The Daily Beast

Both the Republicans in Congress and the American-Cuban community in exile have been speaking out against the warming relations.

From The Daily Beast

He was eventually allowed to leave, but he was forced to resign as ambassador and now lives in Washington, effectively in exile.

From The Daily Beast

Instead of wallowing in comedy exile, Slate was earning a book deal.

From The Daily Beast

The foster-child remained behind to share the hut of the political exile.

From Project Gutenberg

The exile and the maiden, in short, fell in love with each other, and they mutually vowed never to be parted but by force.

From Project Gutenberg

He accordingly betook himself to London, where he had social resources which would, perhaps, make exile endurable.

From Project Gutenberg

He never returned, but died in England on June 3, 1780, an unhappy and a homesick exile from the country which he loved.

From Project Gutenberg

The exile too, far from home and kindred smokes on as he muses of happier hours gone never to return.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• expatriate
• fugitive
• refugee