scapegoat

1 of 2

noun

scape·​goat ˈskāp-ˌgōt 

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

ˈskāp-ˌgō-ˌti-zəm 

noun

Did you know?

On Yom Kippur, the ancient Hebrews would sacrifice one goat for God and lead another one, over whom all the sins of Israel had been confessed, into the wilderness to bear the sins of the people away. The ceremony is described in Leviticus, where it is said that one lot shall be cast for God and one for "Azazel." Modern scholars usually interpret Azazel (ʽazāzēl in Hebrew) as being the name of a demon living in the desert, but ancient biblical translators thought ʽazāzēl referred to the goat itself, apparently confusing the word with the Hebrew phrase ʽēz 'ōzēl, meaning "goat that departs." Thus, in a 16th century English translation, the word for Azazel/the goat was rendered as scapegoote—that is, "goat that escapes." The extended senses of scapegoat we use today evolved from this biblical use.

Synonyms

Noun

• victim
• excuse
• goat

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

As in prior moral panics, the technology proved to be an easy and tangible scapegoat, which enabled Americans to avoid grappling with the complex social factors—like deindustrialization, urban decay, and disillusioned suburban children—that led to a combustible situation ripe for tragedy. —Time, 8 Oct. 2025

Losing the first two games to the Blue Jays has not gone down well in New York, and the manager is usually the first scapegoat when things go wrong. —MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025

Verb

Don’t legislate against people and make their lives horrible, or pick on people or scapegoat people. —Max Gao, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2025

Instead of confronting the outsized influence of private industry on public lands, the state of Colorado looks the other way and scapegoats wild horses. —Jennifer Best, Denver Post, 18 Aug. 2025

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

Rhymes for scapegoat

• anecdote
• antidote
• asymptote
• creosote
• dimethoate
• epidote
• ferryboat
• motorboat
• overcoat
• petticoat
• riverboat
• undercoat

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Kids Definition

scapegoat

noun

scape·​goat

ˈskāp-ˌgōt

: a person or thing taking the blame for others