exile

1 of 2

noun

ex·​ile ˈeg-ˌzī(-ə)l  ˈek-ˌsī(-ə)l 

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

eg-ˈzi-lik 

adjective

exile

2 of 2

verb

exiled; exiling

transitive verb

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

Synonyms of exile

Noun

• expulsion
• deportation

Verb

• banish
• relegate
• deport
• transport

Choose the Right Synonym for 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 a noncitizen who has illegally entered or whose presence is judged adverse to the public welfare.

migrants may be deported

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

a convict who was transported to Australia

Examples of exile in a Sentence

Noun

They hoped that his exile would be temporary.

Many chose to live as exiles rather than face persecution.

Verb

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

He was accused of fuelling sectarian strife, blamed for the fall of Mosul to the Islamic State, and spent several years in exile in Iran and Syria. —Nabil Salih, Time, 4 Dec. 2025

The tables where exiles once argued over elections and strategies for change now feel subdued. —Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025

Verb

Being exiled far from their families and communities imposes a sense of isolation on the prisoners' sudden freedom after decades living behind bars. —Daniel Estrin, NPR, 3 Dec. 2025

Examples of this phenomenon include Rush Limbaugh’s pioneering talk-radio show and Tucker Carlson, who began streaming from his own platform after being exiled from Fox News in 2023. —Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing exile

• tax exile

Rhymes for exile

• argyle
• awhile
• beguile
• compile
• condyle
• defile
• erstwhile
• freestyle
• gentile
• hairstyle
• lifestyle
• meanwhile

Kids Definition

exile

1 of 2 noun

ex·​ile ˈeg-ˌzīl  ˈek-ˌsīl 

1

a

: an act or instance of being forced to leave one's country or home

also : voluntary absence from one's country or home

b

: the state of one so absent

2

: a person who is in exile

exile

2 of 2 verb

exiled; exiling

: to force to leave one's own country or home