deus ex machina: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Literary, Academic, Formal
Quick answer
What does “deus ex machina” mean?
An unexpected power, event, or character that suddenly resolves an apparently unsolvable plot situation in a story.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An unexpected power, event, or character that suddenly resolves an apparently unsolvable plot situation in a story.
Any contrived, improbable, or overly convenient solution to a difficult real-world problem.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is identical in both varieties; it is a fixed, unassimilated Latin loan phrase.
Connotations
Equally negative/pejorative in both, implying a contrived or unsatisfying resolution.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in British academic/literary contexts due to greater classical influence, but the difference is minimal.
Grammar
How to Use “deus ex machina” in a Sentence
[The/A] NOUN serves as/becomes a deus ex machinato VERB a deus ex machinato be/feel like a deus ex machinaVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “deus ex machina” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The writer unforgivably deus-ex-machina'd the final conflict with a sudden amnesia cure.
- The plot was deus-ex-machinaed into a happy ending.
American English
- The screenwriter totally deus-ex-machinaed the hero's escape with a last-second power outage.
- The series finale felt deus-ex-machinaed.
adverb
British English
- The conflict was resolved, rather deus-ex-machina, by the arrival of a long-lost twin.
- The problem disappeared deus-ex-machina.
American English
- The hero was saved deus-ex-machina by a previously unmentioned superpower.
- The legislation passed deus-ex-machina after a key opponent fell ill.
adjective
British English
- The film's deus-ex-machina ending left audiences feeling cheated.
- It was a rather deus-ex-machina plot twist.
American English
- The show's resolution was overly deus-ex-machina.
- That's a pretty deus-ex-machina solution to the budget crisis.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Critically describes an unexpected bailout or market shift that saves a failing company, often seen as unsustainable.
Academic
Used in literary, film, and theatre studies to critique narrative structure.
Everyday
Rare. Used to complain about an unsatisfying ending to a book, film, or real-life situation.
Technical
Specific term in narratology and dramatic theory.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “deus ex machina”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “deus ex machina”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “deus ex machina”
- Mispronouncing 'machina' as /məˈʃiːnə/.
- Misspelling as 'deus ex machina' (no hyphen).
- Using it to mean any surprise, rather than specifically an *unsatisfying* or *contrived* solution.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Almost always in modern usage. It specifically implies a lazy, artificial, or unsatisfying resolution that violates narrative logic. In classical theatre, it was a conventional device, but today it is a pejorative.
In British English, it's /ˈmæk.ɪ.nə/ (MACK-in-uh). In American English, it's commonly /ˈmɑː.kɪ.nə/ (MAH-kin-uh). The 'ch' is a 'k' sound, not 'sh'.
Yes, metaphorically. It can describe any unexpectedly convenient and often implausible solution to a real-world problem (e.g., 'The economic bailout was a political deus ex machina.').
As a well-established foreign phrase in English, it is often not italicised. However, in formal academic writing, especially in the humanities, italics may still be used on first occurrence.
An unexpected power, event, or character that suddenly resolves an apparently unsolvable plot situation in a story.
Deus ex machina is usually literary, academic, formal in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It was a real 'deus ex machina' moment.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a Greek god (DEUS) being lowered by an EXcavator's MACHINery to fix a broken play's ending.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOLUTION IS A DIVINE INTERVENTION (often a poorly engineered one).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the term 'deus ex machina' be used APPROPRIATELY?