exile
gb/ˈɛksˌaɪl/ us/ˈɛksˌaɪl/
B2
English
~ 4900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
state
1
Being forced to live abroad
When a person must live outside their home country because they are not allowed to return.
Usage pattern:
in exile
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'exile' (being forced to leave) with 'emigrate' (choosing to leave).
Synonyms
banishment (More formal and often used in legal or historical contexts.)
Antonyms
repatriation (The act of returning to one's home country, often the opposite outcome of exile.)
Collocations
live in exile
|forced into exile
|return from exile
|years of exile
Themes
politics
|law
|society
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The former leader spent twenty years in exile after the coup.
- Many writers have created their best work while in exile.
- He was sentenced to life in exile for his crimes.
Learner examples
- She is in exile and cannot go home.
- The king sent him into exile.
- He lived in exile for many years.
Noun
B2
entity
2
A person living abroad unwillingly
A person who must live outside their home country because they are not allowed to return.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'exile' (forced absence) with 'immigrant' (voluntary move).
Synonyms
refugee (Refers more broadly to someone fleeing danger, not always due to political banishment.)
Antonyms
citizen (A person living legally within their own country.)
Collocations
political exile
|famous exile
|returning exile
Themes
politics
|people
|law
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The exiles gathered to share news from home.
- She was an exile for most of her adult life.
- The city became a hub for political exiles.
Learner examples
- He is an exile from his country.
- Many exiles live in this town.
- She met other exiles at the café.
Verb
B2
action
3
To send someone away from their country
To make someone leave their home country and not come back.
Usage pattern:
to exile [someone] from [place]
Common mistake:
Some learners use 'exile' incorrectly as a noun when they mean the action (verb).
Synonyms
banish (Often used in more formal or historical contexts, with similar meaning.)
Antonyms
repatriate (To bring someone back to their home country.)
Collocations
exiled leader
|exiled from the country
|exiled for treason
Themes
politics
|law
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The dictator exiled his political opponents.
- They were exiled from the kingdom after the rebellion.
- He was exiled for speaking against the government.
Learner examples
- The king exiled the man.
- They exiled her from the city.
- He was exiled after the war.
Grammar
Dictionary form
exile
IPA
GB/ˈɛksˌaɪl/
US/ˈɛksˌaɪl/
Syllables & stress
ex - ile (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ex)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: exile
- Plural: exile, exiles
Verb
- Base: exile
- 3rd Person Singular: exiles
- Present Participle: exiling
- Past: exiled
Word family
Forms
exiles
noun
exiling
verb
exiled
verb
Advanced or less common
exilic
adjective
Expressions
go into exile
1/ɡˈoʊ ˈɪntu ˈɛksˌaɪl/
fixed phrase
To start living abroad unwillingly
To leave your home country and live somewhere else because you have to.
Examples
- He chose to go into exile rather than face imprisonment.
- Many artists went into exile during the war.
in exile
1/ˈɪn ˈɛksˌaɪl/
fixed phrase
Living away from home country by force
Living outside your home country because you are not allowed to return.
Examples
- The writer has been in exile for over a decade.
- After the coup, many officials lived in exile.
return from exile
1/ɹɪtˈɚn fɹˈʌm ˈɛksˌaɪl/
fixed phrase
Coming back after being forced abroad
To go back to your home country after you were not allowed to be there.
Examples
- The leader returned from exile to a hero's welcome.
- After years away, she finally returned from exile.