exodus

noun

ex·​o·​dus ˈek-sə-dəs How to pronounce exodus (audio) ˈeg-zə- How to pronounce exodus (audio)
1
capitalized : the mainly narrative second book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture see Bible Table
2
: a mass departure : emigration

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Don't Leave Without the History of Exodos

The Biblical book of Exodus describes the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, so it's no surprise that the word has come to refer more generally to any mass departure. The word itself was adopted into English (via Latin) from Greek Exodos, which literally means "the road out." The Greek word was formed by combining the prefix ex- (meaning "out of") and hodos, "road" or "way." Other descendants of the prolific hodos in English include episode, method, odometer, and period. There are also several scientific words that can be traced back to hodos. Anode, and cathode can refer, respectively, to the positive and negative electrodes of a diode, and hodoscope refers to an instrument for tracing the paths of ionizing particles.

Examples of exodus in a Sentence

the mass exodus from the cities for the beaches and the mountains on most summer weekends
Recent Examples on the Web Discovery and the film Academy, respectively, were part of the exodus of industry DEI executives last summer. Rebecca Sun, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 The story of a Bay Area exodus always was overstated. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Mainly Croat areas of the federation — where most residents have passports from neighboring Croatia, a member of the European Union, and can freely travel and work across the bloc — have been hit particularly hard by the exodus. Andrew Higgins Vladimir Zivojinovic, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024 Martínez had to grapple with the impact of the Mariel mass exodus in 1980, first as a council member and then as mayor, when about 125,000 Cubans left from the Port of Mariel near Havana to Florida over a span of six months. Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024 Much of that, longtime residents will tell you, is linked to economic factors that include the city not getting a fair share of federal and state recovery funds following the devastating 1967 riots; massive downsizing of the auto industry; a significant population exodus and government corruption. USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 The possibility of a mass exodus of talent is a real concern for businesses, especially in a competitive job market where skilled workers have the leverage to demand more flexibility. William Arruda, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 At the height of the global pandemic, as Dubai faced an exodus of expatriates and mounting competition from neighboring business hubs, the government opened up. Zainab Fattah, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2024 Also in 2022, a report by the conservative Hoover Institution blamed an exodus of corporate headquarters from the state on taxes, regulations, labor costs, energy prices and the cost of living for workers. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'exodus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek Exodos, literally, road out, from ex- + hodos road

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of exodus was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near exodus

Cite this Entry

“Exodus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exodus. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

exodus

noun
ex·​o·​dus ˈek-səd-əs How to pronounce exodus (audio)
1
capitalized : the mainly narrative second book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture see bible
2
: a mass departure
Etymology

from Latin Exodus "a book of the Bible," derived from Greek exodos "a road or journey out," from ex- "out" and hodos "road"

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