Meaning & use

exile

noun·Academic

The state of being forced to live away from one's home country or region, often for political reasons.

See it in a sentence

The writer spent thirty years in exile after criticizing the government.

Many refugees describe the loneliness of life in exile.

A note on using this word

Exile often carries a political or punitive connotation, unlike voluntary emigration, and can also function as a verb.

Words with a similar meaning

banishmentexpatriation

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. verb

To force someone to leave and live away from their home country, typically for political reasons.

The dictator exiled his fiercest critics to a remote island.

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