exile: Meaning and Definition of

ex•ile

Pronunciation: (eg'zīl, ek'sīl), [key]
— n., v., -iled, -il•ing.
—n.
  1. expulsion from one's native land by authoritative decree.
  2. the fact or state of such expulsion: to live in exile.
  3. a person banished from his or her native land.
  4. prolonged separation from one's country or home, as by force of circumstances: wartime exile.
  5. anyone separated from his or her country or home voluntarily or by force of circumstances.
  6. the Babylonian captivity of the Jews, 597–538 b.c.
—v.t.
  1. to expel or banish (a person) from his or her country; expatriate.
  2. to separate from country, home, etc.: Disagreements exiled him from his family.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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