exodus

noun

ex·​o·​dus ˈek-sə-dəs  ˈeg-zə- 

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 exodus, uncapitalized, has come to refer more generally to any mass departure. Exodus was adopted into English (via Latin) from the Greek word Exodos, which literally means “the road out.” Exodos was formed by combining the prefix ex-, meaning “out of,” and hodos, meaning “road” or “way.” Indeed, many roads led out of hodos into English; other hodos descendants include episode, method, odometer, and period. While exodus is occasionally encountered in reference to an individual’s leaving (e.g., “his/her/their exodus”), such usage is likely to raise the eyebrows of editors who feel it should only refer to the departure en masse of a large group of people, as when novelist Nnedi Okorafor writes in her science fiction novel Lagoon (2015): “Everyone was trying to get somewhere, be it a church, a bar, home or out of Lagos. Then there was the exodus of people … to the parts of the city that had the least chance of flooding if the water rose too high.”

Synonyms

• gush
• outflow
• outpour
• outpouring

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

With the launch of Russia’s invasion, a mass exodus of Ukrainians swept across Europe and into the western regions of the country in early 2022. —Katya Soldak, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

While the number of prosecutors working in the office has declined only slightly, there has been a mass exodus of veteran litigators, contributing to the large gap in leadership. —Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025

The fires also bring costs such as the health impact of pollution and toxic waste generated by the burns, a decline in business activity and a population exodus, the UCLA economists said. —Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2025

Foreign investor exodus Foreigners have been net average sellers of Indian equities over the last four months, according to data from India’s National Securities Depository, as the country’s growth falters. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2025

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

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Kids Definition

exodus

noun

ex·​o·​dus ˈek-səd-əs 

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"