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Synonyms

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.

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

"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

verb

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

"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
Exile 2 British  
/ ˈɛɡzaɪl, ˈɛksaɪl /

noun

  1. another name for Babylonian captivity

"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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It is now based in exile and is designated as a terrorist organisation by Tehran.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

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

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

But then—after his scandal-plagued exit from Louisville in 2017 and during his exile in the Greek professional league and at mid-major Iona—the basketball world transformed around him.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

Hasina, 78, who has been sentenced in absentia to death for crimes against humanity, is in self-imposed exile in India.

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

Then for a year, if not more, with Crick in exile in Brooklyn, peace and serenity would prevail.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.