exodus Definition
exo·dus (eks′ə dəs; also eg′zə-)
noun
- the departure of the Israelites from Egypt: with the
- the second book of the Pentateuch in the Bible, which describes this and gives the law of Moses: abbrev. Ex or Exod
- a going out or forth, esp. in a large group
Etymology: < LL Exodus (O.T. book) < Gr Exodus, lit., a going out < ex-, out + hodos, way: see -ode
exodus Synonyms
exodus Usage Examples
Converse of object
- join: On our second day we joined the daily exodus along the coast.
- predict: Experts predict an exodus of millions from low-lying countries like Bangladesh if sea levels rise by just three feet ( a meter ).
- witness: We are also witnessing the biggest exodus from farming in living memory.
- begin: The Wet Babylonians began an exodus which rivaled that of rats abandoning a sinking ship.
Adjective modifier
- mass: There was no mass exodus of people with trains to catch.
- massive: NATO officials admitted that they never expected to see such a massive exodus of refugees from Kosovo... .
- urban: This trend toward living away from towns and cities has been termed the urban exodus.
- huge: International relief agencies began to respond as a huge exodus of refugees began to require immediate emergency relief.
Modifies a noun
- chapter: Exodus chapter 20 verses 4 to 6. I have two headings this morning.
- holiday: These shows are informative and fun, offering you a first-hand insight into what an exodus holiday is really like.
Noun used with modifier
- refugee: It was the scene of a massive refugee exodus following an uprising against Saddam that was crushed in 1991.
- mass: In 1973, a mass exodus started from East Africa.
- summer: In the Highlands and islands of Scotland, Beltane was the time of the year when a summer exodus took place.
Preposition: of
- Israelite: The exodus of the Israelites is widely believed to have occurred in this period.
- refugee: The Kurds reject the idea that a mass exodus of Kurdish refugees is more than an excuse.
- talent: There could be an exodus of talent to regions where the money may then accumulate to.
Preposition: from
slavery: The same is true for their miraculous exodus from slavery.
Browse dictionary entries near exodus
- ‹ exodontics
- ‹ Exod
- ‹ exocytosis
- ‹ exocrine
- ‹ exocentric
- ‹ exocarp
- ‹ exobiology
- ‹ exo-
- ‹ Exmoor
- ‹ exit strategy
- exogamy ›
- exogen ›
- exogenous ›
- exon ›
- exonerate ›
- exoneration ›
- exonumia ›
- exopeptidase ›
- exophthalmic goiter ›
- exophthalmos ›

