deus ex machina

noun

de·​us ex ma·​chi·​na ˈdā-əs-ˌeks-ˈmä-ki-nə  -ˈma- 

-ˌnä;

-mə-ˈshē-nə

1

: a god introduced by means of a crane (see crane entry 1 sense 3a) in ancient Greek and Roman drama to decide the final outcome

2

: a person or thing (as in fiction or drama) that appears or is introduced suddenly and unexpectedly and provides a contrived solution to an apparently insoluble difficulty

… the shipwreck, far from being a tragic peripety, is the deus ex machina which makes it possible for Defoe to present solitary labour … as a solution to the perplexities of economic and social reality.

—Ian Watt

Did you know?

The New Latin term deus ex machina is a translation of a Greek phrase and means literally "a god from a machine." "Machine," in this case, refers to the crane that held a god over the stage in ancient Greek and Roman drama. The practice of introducing a god at the end of a play to unravel and resolve the plot dates from at least the 5th century B.C.; Euripides (circa 484-406 B.C.) was one playwright who made frequent use of the device. Since the late 1600s, "deus ex machina" has been applied in English to unlikely saviors and improbable events that bring order out of chaos in sudden and surprising ways.

Examples of deus ex machina in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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. —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024

One might be seduced by the notion that Russia needs its own de Gaulle to help consolidate a liberal order from above, even though no such deus ex machina looms on Russia’s immediate horizon. —Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024

Ultimately a satiric deus ex machina finale saves the day. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024

Trump will be the nominee unless death, grave illness, or some other deus ex machina factor intervenes. —Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 24 Feb. 2024

Unlike other episodes, where Rick might pull a deus ex machina out of his sleeve to fix everything, this time his solution is literally abandoning their original dimension for an extremely similar one. —Huntley Woods and Christian Holub, EW.com, 17 Oct. 2023

But then — what is the opposite of a deus ex machina? —Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 1 Aug. 2023

Ever since January 6, 2021, the political and legal systems have searched for a deus ex machina device to eliminate Donald Trump from our politics without letting the voters decide his fate. —Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 20 Aug. 2023

The deus ex machina has been a narrative device since Ancient Greece. —Time, 12 July 2023

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, a god from a machine, translation of Greek theos ek mēchanēs

First Known Use

1697, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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