noun / verb

exile

EK-syle/ˈeksaɪl/

Forced absence from one's home or country.

The traveler begins his exile as the officer closes the gate.

An older traveler is compelled through a guarded border gate, then barred from returning: the officer closes the gate between him and the homeland toward which he reaches, while directing him outward toward his waiting luggage.

Etymology

exileLatinbanishment; place of banishment

Latin exilium covered both banishment and a place of banishment, connecting removal with the destination imposed on the banished person. The English sense preserves the meaning of forced removal.

In context

60 Seconds Knowledge1:05

Napoleon was sent into exile once more, this time to the remote South Atlantic island of St. Helena. No longer an emperor, but a private citizen and prisoner.

What Did Napoleon Do in Exile? | 60 Seconds History

More examples

She spends twenty years in exile before returning home.
The government exiled him for criticizing the president.
The exiles gather to share news from their homeland.

Forms

exile · exiles · exiled · exiling

Similar words

banishment: Emphasizes the official act of forcing someone to leave.
expulsion: Means being forced out, not necessarily from one's home or country.