ex·ile
ˈeg-ˌzī(-ə)l 
ˈek-ˌsī(-ə)l
ˈek-ˌsī(-ə)l
1
a
: the state or a period of forced absence from one's country or home
b
: the state or a period of voluntary absence from one's country or home
2
: a person who is in exile
exiled; exiling
: to banish or expel from one's own country or home
Examples of exile in a Sentence
Noun
They hoped that his exile would be temporary.
Many chose to live as exiles rather than face persecution.
Verb
with their conquest of the Moors complete, Ferdinand and Isabella next exiled the Jews from Spain
Recent Examples on the Web
Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
An exile tells the story of her statelessness in vignettes and reflections, centering on the objects that tie her to a place.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Dharamshala is best known internationally as the seat of the Dalai Lama, who has been based there since being exiled from Tibet in 1959.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exile
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.
Noun
He was fraudulently declared the loser and forced into exile by Maduro.
—Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
An exile tells the story of her statelessness in vignettes and reflections, centering on the objects that tie her to a place.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
Campbell was exiled after that, sent back to Worcester four days later never to return to Boston.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Dharamshala is best known internationally as the seat of the Dalai Lama, who has been based there since being exiled from Tibet in 1959.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exile
Cite this Entry
“Exile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exile. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
exile
2 of 2 verb
exiled; exiling
: to force to leave one's own country or home
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share