exile 1 of 2

1
as in expulsion
the forced removal from a homeland the exile of French settlers from Nova Scotia resulted in the birth of the Cajun community in the U.S.

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in refugee
a person forced to emigrate for political reasons after being overthrown in a coup, the dictator spent the remainder of his life as an exile in a string of less-than-welcoming countries

Synonyms & Similar Words

exile

2 of 2

verb

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How does the verb exile contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of exile are banish, deport, and transport. While all these words mean "to remove by authority from a state or country," exile may imply compulsory removal or an enforced or voluntary absence from one's own country.

a writer who exiled himself for political reasons

When would banish be a good substitute for exile?

The synonyms banish and exile are sometimes interchangeable, but banish implies compulsory removal from a country not necessarily one's own.

banished for seditious activities

When is deport a more appropriate choice than exile?

Although the words deport and exile have much in common, 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

When might transport be a better fit than exile?

The words transport and exile can be used in similar contexts, but transport implies sending a convicted criminal to an overseas penal colony.

a convict who was transported to Australia

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of exile
Noun
For the past two years, the publication has been running most of its operations in exile from Costa Rica. Michael Rios, CNN Money, 1 June 2025 Israel has vowed to continue the war until all the hostages are returned and Hamas has been either defeated or disarmed and sent into exile. Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
Verb
Nicaraguan journalists, exiled in Costa Rica because of the dictatorship at home, launched a crowdfunding campaign following the U.S. cuts. Nelson Mauricio Rauda Zablah, Christian Science Monitor, 23 May 2025 Le Petit Caporal had been exiled on the remote Atlantic island of Saint Helena since the Battle of Waterloo six years earlier. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for exile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exile
Noun
  • For centuries, Jewish communities across Europe had confronted antisemitic expulsions from capitals and major cities.
    Time, Time, 3 June 2025
  • But at the time, the Israeli government was also considering the expulsion of terrorists from Gaza and trying to persuade Egypt and other countries to take in voluntary emigrants from Gaza.
    Assaf Orion, Foreign Affairs, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • Views on refugees generally The poll — which sampled 1,560 U.S. adults May 22-27 — began by asking respondents for their general views on refugees, who typically flee their home country due to violence or persecution.
    Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
  • Nawrocki, 42, a newcomer to politics who previously ran a national remembrance institute, campaigned on a promise to ensure economic and social policies favour Poles over other nationalities, including refugees from neighbouring Ukraine.
    Anna Magdalena Lubowicka, USA Today, 3 June 2025
Verb
  • Their preferred solution to informational complexity—that certain ideas and the people associated with them were Bad and Wrong and needed to be banished from the public sphere—wasn’t much better.
    Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 28 May 2025
  • Through his tight leadership that began with the fifth season, delays became a thing of the past, unceremoniously banished to the farthest reaches of the Central Finite Curve.
    Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Noun
  • Under the Trump administration, deportation plans have expanded to student visa holders and immigrants in the U.S. on Temporary Protected Status.
    Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2025
  • Nationwide, the ramifications of deportation for these key citizens will affect all of us, which can lead to deterioration of our healthcare system, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, home health aides, etc.
    Rachel Blumberg, Sun Sentinel, 3 June 2025
Verb
  • This relegated him to being an 82-game player rather than a 16-game one, which limited his value to prospective teams.
    Mat Issa, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
  • Sourcing in this mode is even less robust; Google relegates sources to clickable carets that don’t highlight the relevant portions of its response.
    Ruben Circelli, PC Magazine, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • Columnist Steve Lopez asks: If people taking care of our elders get deported, will anyone take their place?
    Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
  • Graham pointed to what Ukrainian officials and Yale researchers estimate are nearly 20,000 children forcibly deported to Russia -- calling their return a matter of justice, not diplomacy.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • The victim, who suffered a laceration, was transported by EMS to Lincoln Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.
    Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 30 May 2025
  • McArthur Mathis was transported to The Cross Creek Psychiatric and Addiction Hospital on Wednesday after being in custody in Grimes County since he was arrested Jan. 2 on multiple warrants.
    Christina Shaw, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Exile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exile. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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