exodus

noun

ex·​o·​dus ˈek-sə-dəs How to pronounce exodus (audio) ˈeg-zə- How to pronounce exodus (audio)
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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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- (meaning "out of") and hodos, "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.

Examples of exodus in a Sentence

the mass exodus from the cities for the beaches and the mountains on most summer weekends
Recent Examples on the Web To address the exodus of election workers statewide, the secretary's office is launching a fellowship program aimed at attracting a new generation of election staffers. Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 15 Mar. 2024 In an effort to staunch the exodus of home insurers fleeing the state, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Thursday unveiled a proposal for letting those insurers use computer models of possible future catastrophes to justify rate increases. John Woolfolk, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for exodus 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'exodus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek Exodos, literally, road out, from ex- + hodos road

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of exodus was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near exodus

Cite this Entry

“Exodus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exodus. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

exodus

noun
ex·​o·​dus ˈek-səd-əs How to pronounce exodus (audio)
1
capitalized : the mainly narrative second book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture see bible
2
: a mass departure
Etymology

from Latin Exodus "a book of the Bible," derived from Greek exodos "a road or journey out," from ex- "out" and hodos "road"

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