exile

noun ex·ile \ ˈeg-ˌzī(-ə)l , ˈek-ˌsī(-ə)l \

Updated on: 22 Apr 2018

Definition of exile

1 a : the state or a period of forced absence from one's country or home

b : the state or a period of voluntary absence from one's country or home

2 : a person who is in exile

—

exilic

play \eg-ˈzi-lik\ adjective

See exile defined for English-language learners

See exile defined for kids

Examples of exile in a Sentence

They hoped that his exile would be temporary.
Many chose to live as exiles rather than face persecution.

Recent Examples of exile from the Web

And yet, at least one line of communication is still flourishing — the one between Cubans on the island and Cuban exiles and their children in the United States.

— anthony faiola, Washington Post, "In Cuba, the Castro era ends this week as Raúl steps down as ruler," 17 Apr. 2018
Wariness of disruption is exacerbated by Cuba's increasing economic dependence on the Cuban emigres and exiles once seen by the Communist government as a threat to its survival.

— michael weissenstein and andrea rodriguez, Fox News, "Raul Castro leaves Cuba with new freedoms, deep problems," 16 Apr. 2018
Mrs Albright was a toddler in 1939 when goose-stepping Nazis drove her family from Czechoslovakia to exile in London.

— The Economist, "Madeleine Albright’s guide to fascism, past and present," 12 Apr. 2018
In the Elián González case, former ruler Fidel Castro backed the demands by the father for the boy's return to Cuba, turning the custody battle into a political clash between Cuban exiles and the island's government.

— mario j. pentón, miamiherald, "She was born in Miami. Her mother died. Now the father wants to take his newborn to Cuba | Miami Herald," 27 Mar. 2018
From 1964 to 1985, Brazil suffered a military dictatorship that resulted in the torture, murder, and exile of dissenters.

— nicole froio, Teen Vogue, "Marielle Franco's Assassination Sparked Protests Across Brazil and Latin America," 21 Mar. 2018
Defenders will argue that the law covers only official acts by the Polish government-in-exile or its successor state.

— steny hoyer, Time, "Reps. Hoyer, Price and Schneider: Poland’s Censorship Law Ignores Its History and Undermines Its Future," 15 Mar. 2018
As Hollywood prepares for Sunday’s Oscar ceremony, members of the industry might want to contemplate the fact that, despite the excoriation and exile of Weinstein, the kinds of vast power differentials described in this documentary still exist.

— maureen ryan, chicagotribune.com, "Review: Frontline's 'Weinstein' documentary is a necessary addition to the #MeToo movement," 1 Mar. 2018
Baton-wielding police were required to break up the baying crowd of Italian exiles and French communists.

— SI.com, "World Cup Countdown: 18 Weeks to Go - Are Pozzo's Italy the Greatest National Team Ever?," 15 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of exile

Middle English exil, from Anglo-French essil, exil, from Latin exilium, from exul, exsul an exile

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

exile Synonyms

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

exile

verb

Definition of exile

exiled; exiling

transitive verb

: to banish or expel from one's own country or home

See exile defined for English-language learners

Examples of exile in a Sentence

with their conquest of the Moors complete, Ferdinand and Isabella next exiled the Jews from Spain

Recent Examples of exile from the Web

Kaurismäki offers plenty of his deadpan humor in the restaurant scenes, but the comedy never distracts one from the hero's plight, or from the failure of European nations to provide enough help for the exiled.

— Chicago Reader, "The 2017 Chicago International Film Festival, reviewed," 12 Oct. 2017
The tradition of Yom Kippur continued when the Jews reached the land of Israel — Jews gathered in the first two temples until they were destroyed — and persisted again when they were ultimately exiled and dispersed across the globe.

— alana abramson, Time, "Here's Why People Fast on Yom Kippur," 29 Sep. 2017
Maguire was exiled to the worst imaginable position for a highly skilled case officer: a desk job in human resources.

— drew kann, CNN, "How a CIA traitor turned his son into a Russian spy," 28 Sep. 2017
Muhammad Ali was the greatest boxer in the world, and he was still pilloried by the public, stripped of his title, and exiled.

— jonathan eig, Slate Magazine, "Black Athletes Are Only Loved When They Are Harmless," 26 Sep. 2017
Saudi Arabia's under-secretary for curricula has been fired and exiled to Dagobah after an official Saudi social studies textbook included a photo of Jedi Master Yoda.

— timothy b. lee, Ars Technica, "Saudi minister fired after textbook shows Yoda at UN signing ceremony," 27 Sep. 2017
Directed by Wes Anderson, the stop-motion comedy is set in Japan and centers around a young boy (Koyu Rankin) on the quest to find his lost dog after all the canine pets of the city are exiled to a garbage dump.

— sara m moniuszko, Cincinnati.com, "'Isle of Dogs': See Bryan Cranston, Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray as canines in new trailer," 21 Sep. 2017
Clinton no longer cares; exiled to her home in Chappaqua, N.Y., she is liberated from the public eye and dismissive of the media which, in her view, maintains one rule book for every other candidate and a Necronomicon for her.

— david weigel, The Seattle Times, "Book review: Clinton’s account of how she was ‘shivved’ in the 2016 presidential election," 12 Sep. 2017
The story focuses on lion cub Simba, who is exiled after the death of his king and father Mufasa and must return to reclaim his kingdom from his evil uncle Scar.

— sam warner, Cosmopolitan, "Disney Is Remaking The Lion King ... Yes, Really," 28 Sep. 2016

First Known Use of exile

14th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

exile Synonyms

Synonyms

banish, deport, displace, expatriate, relegate, transport;

Near Antonyms

naturalize, repatriate;

accept, admit, receive, take in;

entertain, harbor, house, shelter;

excommunicate, ostracize, reject, repudiate, spurn;

dispossess;

Synonym Discussion of exile

banish, exile, deport, transport mean to remove by authority from a state or country. banish implies compulsory removal from a country not necessarily one's own.

- banished for seditious activities

exile may imply compulsory removal or an enforced or voluntary absence from one's own country.

- a writer who exiled himself for political reasons

deport implies sending out of the country an alien who has illegally entered or whose presence is judged inimical to the public welfare.

- illegal aliens will be deported

transport implies sending a convicted criminal to an overseas penal colony.

- a convict who was transported to Australia

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

EXILE Defined for English Language Learners

exile

noun

Definition of exile for English Language Learners

: a situation in which you are forced to leave your country or home and go to live in a foreign country
: a period of time during which someone has lived in exile
: a person who has been forced to live in a foreign country : a person who is in exile

exile

verb

Definition of exile for English Language Learners

: to force (someone) to go to live in a distant place or foreign country : to force (someone) into exile

EXILE Defined for Kids

exile

noun ex·ile \ ˈeg-ˌzīl , ˈek-ˌsīl \

Definition of exile for Students

1 : the situation of a person who is forced to leave his or her own country

He's living in exile.

2 : the period of time someone is forced to live away from his or her country

a 20 year exile

3 : a person who is forced to leave his or her own country

exile

verb

Definition of exile for Students

exiled; exiling

: to force (someone) to leave his or her own country

Learn More about exile

See words that rhyme with exile Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for exile Spanish Central: Translation of exile Nglish: Translation of exile for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of exile for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about exile

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exile

Definition of exile

exilic

Examples of exile in a Sentence

Recent Examples of exile from the Web

Origin and Etymology of exile

exile Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Other Government and Politics Terms

exile

Definition of exile

Examples of exile in a Sentence

Recent Examples of exile from the Web

First Known Use of exile

exile Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Synonym Discussion of exile

Other Government and Politics Terms

Phrases Related to EXILE

Related Phrases

EXILE Defined for English Language Learners

exile

Definition of exile for English Language Learners

exile

Definition of exile for English Language Learners

EXILE Defined for Kids

exile

Definition of exile for Students

exile

Definition of exile for Students

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