What does exodus mean?
An exodus is a large-scale departure — the simultaneous leaving of many people from a place, whether a city, a country, or an organization. The word derives from Greek 'exodos', meaning 'the road out', formed from 'ex-' ('out') and 'hodos' ('way'). Its most famous referent is the biblical Exodus, the escape of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery under Moses, an event commemorated annually at Passover and recounted in the Book of Exodus. In modern usage the word is most often applied to migrations, evacuations, and waves of resignations: journalists write of an exodus of refugees fleeing conflict, or an exodus of residents after an economic collapse. Because it implies movement en masse, applying it to one or two departures sounds hyperbolic. Vivid yet precise, 'exodus' remains a powerful word for describing moments when many people choose — or are forced — to leave at once.
nounA mass departure of people, especially on a large scale and often suddenly or simultaneously. With a capital E, it refers to the departure of the Israelites from Egypt under Moses, as recounted in the Book of Exodus.
- A large-scale or sudden departure of people from a place.
- (Capitalized) The biblical departure of the Israelites from Egypt, or the Book of the Bible recounting it.
"The announcement of the factory's closure triggered an exodus of workers to neighboring towns."
"The exodus of talent from the capital has left many startups struggling to hire."
"Jews around the world celebrate Passover in commemoration of the Exodus from Egypt."
Rarely used in the plural; the word almost always appears in the singular, even when describing several distinct departures across time or places.
"Historians have documented several great exoduses from the region over the past century."
Every mass getaway owes its name to an ancient one: 'exodus' literally means 'the road out' in Greek, and it has described great departures ever since Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of exodus
'Exodus' comes from the ancient Greek 'exodos', a compound of 'ex' ('out of') and 'hodos' ('road' or 'journey'), so it literally means 'the way out'. English adopted the word via Latin in the early seventeenth century, initially in reference to the biblical event before it broadened to any mass departure. It shares the Greek root 'hodos' with words such as 'method' (literally 'a path along'), 'period' ('a going around'), and 'odometer' ('a measure of distance traveled'), all of which preserve the image of a journey or route.
How exodus is actually used
The word carries a connotation of scale and often urgency; using it for a single person leaving would sound exaggerated. It is standard in both formal journalism and everyday speech, frequently appearing in phrases like 'mass exodus' (a common redundancy, since an exodus is already large).
Easily confused with exodus
An exit is any single way out or act of leaving, whereas an exodus specifically denotes a large-scale, collective departure of many people at once.