self-exile

American  

[self-eg-zahyl, -ek-sahyl, self-] / ˈsɛlfˈɛg zaɪl, -ˈɛk saɪl, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

1. a state of exile imposed by oneself.

2. a person who lives voluntarily as an exile.

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Other Word Forms

• self-exiled adjective

Etymology

Origin of self-exile

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

You feel the exhilaration of veering off the path, the self-exile of speeding toward nowhere, the dread that this caravan has veered too far for its own safety.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025

Queen Sirikit's passing marked "the close of an era" said Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a Thai former diplomat and academic on the monarchy who is now in self-exile, told AFP.

From Barron's • Oct. 25, 2025

The 52-year-old has been fighting extradition for more than a decade, including seven years in self-exile in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and the last five years in a high-security prison.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 19, 2024

From when she first read a script for “Drift” in 2015, Cynthia Erivo committed herself to ensuring that this small-scale drama about self-exile, scars and healing get made.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2023

He had left his home, Corinth, where he was held to be the son of the King, Polybus, and the reason for his self-exile was another Delphic oracle.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton