EXILE Synonyms: 70 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

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

The Tristia is a series of poems describing his exile and making a case for forgiveness. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026 Attacks could draw retaliation and reignite Yemen’s war Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when the rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen, forcing the government into exile. — Fatma Khaled, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026

Verb

Cuba has recently exiled other prominent dissidents, most recently José Daniel Ferrer, who have been forced to abandon the island for the United States. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026 He has been imprisoned, kept under house arrest and, eventually, exiled. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for exile

Recent Examples of Synonyms for exile

Noun

Ben-Gvir is a follower of Kahanism, a movement named after a long-dead rabbi who espoused violent ethnonationalism and advocated for the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank.

— Frank Andrews, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
And so Ludwig Wilhelm Sachs, a Königsberg physician and a former member of Ebel’s circle, embittered by his expulsion, intervened.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of expulsion

Noun

The fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a light rail in Charlotte’s trendy South End neighborhood, just south of uptown, thrust the city into the national spotlight last August.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 18 Aug. 2026
The 12 refugee seats, critics argue, are not simply a constitutional problem but an additional lever through which politically loyal candidates can be brought into the assembly.

— Aqil Shah, Time, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of refugee

Noun

In a statement to CBS News, Mexico's Foreign Ministry voiced its opposition to the deportation of Mexican citizens to other countries.

— Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
The administration has struck several such third-country deportation deals with African countries.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of deportation

Verb

On the other hand, Hull were relegated, as were Sunderland, with David Moyes at the helm in his only season there, although there were factors beyond merely the identity of the manager.

— Nick Miller, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Hayes gives Valkyries spark Salaun was relegated to the role of spectator, but the Valkyries did not lack for scoring off the bench.

— Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of relegate

Verb

He was detained in March last year and deported to El Salvador, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and other administration officials, later admitted that the removal was due to a clerical error.

— Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Parents are naming guardians for their children in case they are detained or deported, while others have stopped working, shopping or even leaving home, relying instead on neighbors and churches.

— Maria Santana, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of deport

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exiguous

exile

exiled

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“Exile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exile. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of exile

noun

verb

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