Meaning & use
exile
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
A situation in which a person is forced to live outside their home country, often for political reasons.
Grammar: Uncountable: live in exile.
Patterns
- in exile
- go into exile
The leader lived in exile for ten years.
He was sent into exile after the coup.
She wrote her book in exile.
nouncountable
A person who lives away from their country, by force or choice.
Grammar: Countable.
Patterns
- an exile from somewhere
The exiles dreamed of returning.
He became an exile in Paris.
verbtransitive
To force someone to leave their country as punishment.
Grammar: Takes an object.
Patterns
- exile someone from somewhere
The king exiled his rivals.
She was exiled from her homeland.
Word forms
| plural | exiles |
|---|---|
| third person singular | exiles |
| past tense | exiled |
| past participle | exiled |
| -ing form | exiling |
Common combinations
- in exile
- Living in exile.
- go into exile
- He went into exile.
- government in exile
- A government in exile.
- forced exile
- Forced exile.
- self-imposed exile
- Self-imposed exile.
Synonyms and how they differ
- banishment
- Formal; official order to leave.
- expulsion
- Stresses being thrown out.
- deportation
- Official removal of a foreigner.
Opposites
Word family
- exiled adjective
- forced to live abroad
Commonly confused: exile or emigrate?
exile vs emigrate
Emigrate is a voluntary move.
Practice
A government in exile is one that:
Choose one answer.
In exile means outside the home country.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “exile”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.