scapegoat

American  

[skeyp-goht] / ˈskeɪpˌgoʊt /

noun

1. a person or group made to bear the blame for others or to suffer in their place.

2. Chiefly Biblical. a goat let loose in the wilderness on Yom Kippur after the high priest symbolically laid the sins of the people on its head. Leviticus 16:8,10,26.

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verb (used with object)

1. to make a scapegoat of.

   Strike leaders tried to scapegoat foreign competitors.

scapegoat British  

/ ˈskeɪpˌɡəʊt /

noun

1. a person made to bear the blame for others

2. Old Testament a goat used in the ritual of Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16); it was symbolically laden with the sins of the Israelites and sent into the wilderness to be destroyed

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verb

1. (tr) to make a scapegoat of

scapegoat Cultural  

1. A person or group that is made to bear blame for others. According to the Old Testament, on the Day of Atonement, a priest would confess all the sins of the Israelites over the head of a goat and then drive it into the wilderness, symbolically bearing their sins away.

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Etymology

Origin of scapegoat

First recorded in 1520–30; scape ² + goat

Example Sentences

When policies fail and public support craters, authoritarian regimes inevitably seek a scapegoat.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

Sancho hit back on social media almost immediately, saying he had been made a "scapegoat".

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026

In short, the fearmongers need a new scapegoat.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

Lesson: The volatility that comes with technological change sometimes requires a scapegoat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

He had the feeling that Brother Leon was that kind of character, that he would need a scapegoat and Brian would be closest at hand.

From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

Related Words

• fall guy