deus ex machina
noun
-ˈma-
Ian Watt
Did you know?
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 of deus ex machina in a Sentence
Vulture Editors, Vulture, 12 June 2024
To be clear, shuttle diplomacy is not a deus ex machina.
—Andrew P. Miller, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2024
Only deus ex machina in the form of Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, big-money donors, and a few others forced the unprecedented: a candidate with sufficient delegates to be nominated the presidential candidate of a major party withdrawing from the race.
—Ezekiel J. Emanuel, The Atlantic, 6 Sep. 2024
There isn’t any deus ex machina lurking that would force Biden out, short of a serious health issue.
—Jim Geraghty, Washington Post, 10 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for deus ex machina 
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Cite this Entry
“Deus ex machina.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deus%20ex%20machina. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.
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