Make Your Point > Archived Issues > EXODUS
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pronounce
EXODUS:
Say it "ECK suh duss."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
In Greek, hodos means "a path, a road, a way, or a method," and it gave us words like method, period, odometer, and episode, along with exodus, the word we're checking out today.
If you look closely at exodus, you notice how it literally means "a path out, a road out, or a method of getting out."
See if you can recall some other words that also start with "ex-," meaning "out:"
1. Literally "to push out," to ex__t yourself is to work really hard, as if you're putting to use all of your power or energy.
2. Literally "to bring out of blame," to ex__pate people is to free them from blame, guilt, or punishment, usually in an official, public way.
3. Literally "a leading out, or a guiding out," an ex___sis is a long, detailed, scholarly explanation, usually written down, and often focused on some specific text.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
"Exodus" can be traced back through Latin to Greek. It literally means "a going out," or "a way out."
In the Bible, after the first book, Genesis, the second book is called Exodus. It's about how a large group of people, the Israelites, left Egypt together to escape from terrible slaughter. Here's a painting of them leaving, from the artist Cheryl Rose:
So, that was the original exodus: the original mass exit to escape terrible conditions.
More generally, an exodus is any large-scale departure. In other words, an exodus is the act of many people leaving some place, at about the same time, usually to escape from hardships.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Noun, the countable kind: "They made an exodus."
Other forms:
The plural noun, which we hardly ever need, is simply "exoduses."
The adjective is rare, too: "exodic," pronounced "eck SOD ick."
And the noun for people who make an exodus is "exodist(s)."
how to use it:
We pick the word "exodus" to strike a serious, even religious tone as we describe people leaving en masse.
An exodus can take place literally, with people leaving their cities for the suburbs, for example, or leaving their homelands for other countries. And, an exodus can take place figuratively, with people leaving a club, an organization, a political party, a religion, etc.
An exodus is often prompted by hardships or horrors--or some other set of conditions that makes it impossible for people to stay--but it doesn't always have to. When you need a word with an even stronger emphasis on the hardships or horrors that made people leave, then instead of "exodus," you might pick "hegira."
Often we talk about people making an exodus. We can also talk about a group's exodus, or the exodus of a group, often from some place and/or to another: "the exodus of the most talented players from this team to that one;" "an exodus of suburban women from the GOP" (Washington Times).
And, we talk about events that trigger, drive, speed, slow, or stop an exodus.
examples:
"When the Dust Bowl ravaged the United States in the 1930s, a mass exodus of 2.5 million midwestern farmers migrated towards California."
— Alex Domash, The Guardian, 2 October 2020
"It might seem that there was a silver lining in all this, that the exodus of tourists would be a boon for the health of a reef in critical condition."
— Livia Albeck-Ripka, New York Times, 22 August 2014
has this page helped you understand "exodus"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "exodus" without saying "mass exit to escape a bad situation" or "large-scale move from one place to another."
try it out:
These days, we might read about an exodus of stores as shopping malls die, an exodus of coastal residents as a hurricane approaches, an exodus of members as a political party grows more extreme, or an exodus of fans or customers as a franchise or company does something wildly unpopular.
What's another example of a modern exodus? What hardships (or annoyances) might be causing it, and what might be some of its positive and negative effects?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for November is "SpongeBob Shakespeare."
Check out the goofy quote below. Is it from SpongeBob Squarepants, or is it a modern-English version of a quote from Shakespeare?
I'll list the answer at the bottom of each issue. Enjoy!
Try this one today:
"Oh, great, hello! I was looking for someone stupid."
review this word:
A. a BLOCKAGE.
B. an ARRIVAL.
C. an AGREEMENT.
2. Michelle Carter, an Olympic champion shot putter, "predicts an exodus _____ her discipline" if her sport is _____, according to Reuters.
A. to .. portrayed as more glamorous
B. from .. eliminated from prestigious programs
C. within .. disrupted by a series of drug scandals
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
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Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
In Greek, hodos means "a path, a road, a way, or a method," and it gave us words like method, period, odometer, and episode, along with exodus, the word we're checking out today.
"Exodus" can be traced back through Latin to Greek. It literally means "a going out," or "a way out."
Part of speech:
We pick the word "exodus" to strike a serious, even religious tone as we describe people leaving en masse.
"When the Dust Bowl ravaged the United States in the 1930s, a mass exodus of 2.5 million midwestern farmers migrated towards California."
Explain the meaning of "exodus" without saying "mass exit to escape a bad situation" or "large-scale move from one place to another."
These days, we might read about an exodus of stores as shopping malls die, an exodus of coastal residents as a hurricane approaches, an exodus of members as a political party grows more extreme, or an exodus of fans or customers as a franchise or company does something wildly unpopular.
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
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