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

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 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

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 fraudulently declared the loser and forced into exile by Maduro. —Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025

An exile tells the story of her statelessness in vignettes and reflections, centering on the objects that tie her to a place. —Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025

Verb

Campbell was exiled after that, sent back to Worcester four days later never to return to Boston. —Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025

Dharamshala is best known internationally as the seat of the Dalai Lama, who has been based there since being exiled from Tibet in 1959. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Oct. 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