scapegoat

1 of 2

noun

scape·​goat ˈskāp-ˌgōt How to pronounce scapegoat (audio)
1
: a goat upon whose head are symbolically placed the sins of the people after which he is sent into the wilderness in the biblical ceremony for Yom Kippur
2
a
: one that bears the blame for others
b
: one that is the object of irrational hostility

scapegoat

2 of 2

verb

scapegoated; scapegoating; scapegoats

transitive verb

: to make a scapegoat of
scapegoatism noun

Did you know?

On Yom Kippur, the ancient Hebrews would sacrifice one goat for the Lord and lead another one into the wilderness bearing the sins of the people. The ceremony is described in Leviticus, where it is said that one lot shall be cast for the Lord and one for "Azazel." Modern scholars usually interpret Azazel as being the name of a demon living in the desert, but ancient biblical translators thought Azazel referred to the goat itself, apparently confusing it with the Hebrew phrase ez ozel, meaning "goat that departs." The mistranslation was carried through Greek and Latin into a 16th-century English translation, where the word for the goat was rendered as scapegoote; that is, "goat that escapes." The extended senses of scapegoat we use today evolved from this biblical use.

Examples of scapegoat in a Sentence

Noun The CEO was made the scapegoat for the company's failures. companies often use the economy as a scapegoat to avoid taking responsibility for dropping sales
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Both Trump and Vance have repeatedly used immigrants as scapegoats for issues like access to housing, jobs and crime rates, and, if elected, have pledged to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Mythili Sampathkumar, refinery29.com, 9 Oct. 2024 Conversely, opportunity suffocated unleashes anger and the desire for scapegoats. John Tamny, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024
Verb
When disruption occurs, that path may be broken, so focus on previously unseen solutions, not scapegoats. Meridith Alexander, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024 Convenient scapegoats Trump also talks about the high cost of housing, but ironically for a man who sees himself as a great builder, the former president hasn’t called for more construction. Binyamin Appelbaum, The Mercury News, 29 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for scapegoat 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scapegoat.' 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

Noun

scape entry 1; intended as translation of Hebrew ʽazāzēl (probably name of a demon), as if ʽēz 'ōzēl goat that departs—Leviticus 16:8 (King James Version)

First Known Use

Noun

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1943, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scapegoat was in 1530

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Dictionary Entries Near scapegoat

Cite this Entry

“Scapegoat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scapegoat. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

scapegoat

noun
scape·​goat
ˈskāp-ˌgōt
: a person or thing taking the blame for others

More from Merriam-Webster on scapegoat

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