exodus

noun ex·o·dus \ ˈek-sə-dəs , ˈeg-zə- \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of exodus

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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Examples of exodus in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of exodus from the Web

So too the growing exodus of black evangelicals from the evangelical movement, many of whom report feeling pressured to vote for or support Donald Trump in spite of his statements on race.

— tara isabella burton, Vox, "Lynchburg’s Red Letter Revival brought “pro-testifiers” to Jerry Falwell Jr.’s door.," 12 Apr. 2018
That sandy exodus is part of San Francisco’s campaign to fight severe erosion at the southern end of the beach that faces the Pacific Ocean.

— matt simon, WIRED, "Want to Fight Sea Level Rise? Look to San Francisco’s Ocean Beach," 11 Apr. 2018
Numerous celebrities also have joined the #DeleteFacebook exodus, including Cher, Will Ferrell, Rosie O'Donnell and Jim Carrey.

— lindsey bever, chicagotribune.com, "Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak says he is joining the #DeleteFacebook movement," 9 Apr. 2018
Nugent’s comments come after Fox News host Laura Ingraham saw an exodus of advertisers for her show The Ingraham Angle after mocking David Hogg, one of the shooting survivors and a gun-control activist.

— lisa marie segarra, Time, "'They Have No Soul.' Ted Nugent Lashes Out at Parkland Shooting Survivors," 31 Mar. 2018
Others have formed an uneasy exodus, their attachment to familiar places and routines irreparably battered by a storm that dumped 50-plus inches and caused widespread flooding.

— audra d. s. burch, New York Times, "Brutal Choice in Houston: Sell Home at a Loss or Face New Floods," 30 Mar. 2018
Neighboring Colombia, in particular, has been slammed by the exodus, as authorities estimate that more than 600,000 Venezuelans have arrived in recent years.

— jim wyss, miamiherald, "Venezuelans flee Maduro regime seeking freedom and safety - but asylum is elusive | Miami Herald," 20 Mar. 2018
Emergency manager Peggy Hinckley told a crowd of about 150 people the district needs to stem the exodus of students, which historically begins in seventh grade.

— carole carlson, Post-Tribune, "Gary to get new middle school at Banneker building; change will include some redistricting," 9 Mar. 2018
The story of the Jews' exodus from Egypt 3,000 years ago was juxtaposed against the plight of today's refugees, migrants, and displaced peoples around the world.

— denise coffey, Courant Community, "Community Seder Celebrates Interfaith Connections," 29 Mar. 2018

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

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 has come to refer more generally to any mass departure. The word itself was adopted into English (via Latin) from Greek Exodos, which literally means "the road out." The Greek word was formed by combining the prefix ex- and hodos, meaning "road" or "way." Other descendants of the prolific hodos in English include episode, method, odometer, and period. There are also several scientific words that can be traced back to hodos. Anode and cathode can refer, respectively, to the positive and negative electrodes of a diode, and hodoscope refers to an instrument for tracing the paths of ionizing particles.