Deus ex machina is a sudden, unexpected person or event that resolves a seemingly impossible situation, originating from a theatrical device in ancient Greek drama.
Deus ex machina refers to a person or thing that suddenly appears to solve an insoluble problem, originating from ancient Greek drama where a god was lowered by a machine to resolve the plot.
| Word | deus ex machina |
|---|---|
| Date | April 18, 2007 |
| Type | noun |
| Syllables | DAY-us-eks-MAH-kih-nuh |
| Etymology | The New Latin term "deus ex machina" is a translation of a Greek phrase and means literally "a god from a machine." "Machine," in this case, refers to the crane that held a god over the stage in ancient Greek and Roman drama. The practice of introducing a god at the end of a play to unravel and resolve the plot dates from at least the 5th century B.C.; Euripides (circa 484-406 B.C.) was one playwright who made frequent use of the device. Since the late 1600s, "deus ex machina" has been applied in English to unlikely saviors and improbable events that bring order out of chaos in sudden and surprising ways. |
| Examples | Only a deus ex machina could resolve the novel's thorny crisis. |
| Definition | : a person or thing (as in fiction or drama) that appears or is introduced suddenly and unexpectedly and provides a contrived solution to an apparently insoluble difficulty |
Tags: wordoftheday::noun
Learn with these flashcards. Click next, previous, or up to navigate to more flashcards for this subject.
Next card: Rain century pluvial adjective word relating april ploo-vee-ul
Previous card: John liquor part key barleycorn april noun jahn-bar-lee-korn
Up to card list: Word of the Day