EXILE Synonyms: 69 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

exile 1 of 2

noun

ˈeg-ˌzī(-ə)l

Definition of exile next

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.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

as in to banish

to force to leave a country with their conquest of the Moors complete, Ferdinand and Isabella next exiled the Jews from Spain

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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

Sonic’s longtime enemy Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) has been rescued from exile by a spiny anteater called Knuckles (Idris Elba), who is out to get the hedgehog. —

Dina Gachman, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025 Those detained recently include the director of a freedom of speech group, and the son in law of Edmundo González, the retired diplomat who became the opposition's stand-in candidate in July's election, and is now in exile. —

Manuel Rueda, NPR, 10 Jan. 2025

Verb

Patroclus, on the other hand, is an awkward young prince exiled from his homeland. —

Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025 Rather than being exiled and forgotten in the Old Executive Office Building across from the White House, Mondale was the first vice president given an office in the West Wing, just steps from the Oval Office. —

Peter Baker, Twin Cities, 30 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for exile

Recent Examples of Synonyms for exile

Noun

Marines saw an especially high number, with 3,700 expulsions.

— Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
Following that tragedy, fierce debate about gun regulations in the Tennessee legislature led to the dramatic expulsion of two Democratic lawmakers, who were later voted back into office.

— Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2025