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 (yes, 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 in fiction or drama that bring order out of chaos in sudden and surprising ways.

Examples of deus ex machina in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But if such a deus ex machina does not appear, there’s every reason to fear that Israel will plunge deeper into the morass. —Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025

The sea air inflames the revellers with the natural force of desire, but a deus ex machina, a comically absurd windstorm, breaks up the festivities before desires are acted on. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2025

With the deus ex machina aid of a friendly American serviceman (a sympathetic Yonv Joseph), Delia sabotages the relationship and thinks of a better way her money could benefit Marcella. —Alissa Simon, Variety, 6 Mar. 2025

But this gimcrack airport-novel intrigue includes a deus ex machina cardinal, Vincent Benitez (Carlos Diehz), conveniently created in pectore — in secret — from Afghanistan but of Mexican heritage (but why not Ukrainian?). —Armond White, National Review, 19 Feb. 2025

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

Rhymes for deus ex machina

• acarina
• ballerina
• casuarina
• celestina
• concertina
• filipina
• foramina
• leucaena
• littorina
• scarlatina
• semolina
• serotina

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