exodus

noun

ex·​o·​dus ˈek-sə-dəs  ˈeg-zə- 

1

capitalized : the mainly narrative second book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture see Bible Table

2

: a mass departure : emigration

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Don't Leave Without the History of Exodos

The Biblical book of Exodus describes the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, so it's no surprise that the word exodus, uncapitalized, has come to refer more generally to any mass departure. Exodus was adopted into English (via Latin) from the Greek word Exodos, which literally means “the road out.” Exodos was formed by combining the prefix ex-, meaning “out of,” and hodos, meaning “road” or “way.” Indeed, many roads led out of hodos into English; other hodos descendants include episode, method, odometer, and period. While exodus is occasionally encountered in reference to an individual’s leaving (e.g., “his/her/their exodus”), such usage is likely to raise the eyebrows of editors who feel it should only refer to the departure en masse of a large group of people, as when novelist Nnedi Okorafor writes in her science fiction novel Lagoon (2015): “Everyone was trying to get somewhere, be it a church, a bar, home or out of Lagos. Then there was the exodus of people … to the parts of the city that had the least chance of flooding if the water rose too high.”

Synonyms

• flow
• outflow
• outpouring

Examples of exodus in a Sentence

the mass exodus from the cities for the beaches and the mountains on most summer weekends

Recent Examples on the Web

Residents recall a mass exodus of plant workers, whose sizable salaries once circulated through the county. —Miranda Dunlap, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025

The 1970s had seen a mass exodus of Argentina’s star players abroad, particularly to Spain, where a ban on foreign players had recently been lifted. —Michael Cox, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025

At the same time, there’s been an exodus of federal workers who left by choice. —Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025

Reuters reported that one week alone saw more than 150,000 federal workers exit the government, part of a broader exodus that has hit agencies such as NASA, NOAA, and the Department of Agriculture. —Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek Exodos, literally, road out, from ex- + hodos road

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

exodus

noun

ex·​o·​dus ˈek-səd-əs 

1

capitalized : the mainly narrative second book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture see bible

2

: a mass departure

Etymology

from Latin Exodus "a book of the Bible," derived from Greek exodos "a road or journey out," from ex- "out" and hodos "road"