scapegoat
C1Neutral to formal; used in everyday, journalistic, academic, and business contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A person or group who is blamed for the faults, mistakes, or misfortunes of others, especially for reasons of expediency.
An individual, entity, or thing that serves as a convenient focus for negative emotions, allowing others to avoid responsibility. Also used as a verb meaning to assign blame in this manner.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Carries strong connotations of unfairness and injustice. The term implies that the accused is innocent or at least not solely responsible, and is being used as a target to divert attention from the real problems or culprits.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in definition or usage. The verb form 'to scapegoat' is equally used in both dialects.
Connotations
Identical connotations of unfair blame in both varieties.
Frequency
Similar frequency of use in both British and American English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[NP] scapegoated [NP] for [NP/V-ing][NP] was made a scapegoat for [NP][NP] became the scapegoatVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to be/play the scapegoat”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
In business, a junior manager might be made a scapegoat for a failed project to protect senior leadership.
Academic
In sociology, the term is used to analyse how societies or groups project collective anxieties onto marginalised individuals.
Everyday
"Stop trying to make the new intern the scapegoat for your own mistake."
Technical
In psychology, related to concepts like 'displacement' and 'projection' of aggression.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The media often scapegoats immigrants for economic woes.
- He felt he had been scapegoated for the team's failure.
American English
- The administration is scapegoating the previous president for the crisis.
- She was unfairly scapegoated and then fired.
adjective
British English
- The scapegoat mechanism is a common sociological phenomenon.
- He played a scapegoat role in the scandal.
American English
- They identified a scapegoat candidate to take the fall.
- The report described a classic scapegoat scenario.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The cat was the scapegoat for the broken vase.
- He is not the scapegoat.
- They needed a scapegoat for the project's failure.
- She became the scapegoat for her colleagues' mistakes.
- The government is using the minority group as a scapegoat to divert attention from its own policies.
- Managers are often scapegoated when company profits fall.
- The complex socio-economic tensions were simplified by scapegoating a neighbouring country.
- His thesis explores how societies create scapegoats during periods of rapid change.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a goat escaping (scape) from a problem, but instead it's forced to carry the blame (scapegoat) for everyone else's escape.
Conceptual Metaphor
BLAME IS A BURDEN / UNFAIR BLAME IS A SACRIFICIAL ANIMAL
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'козёл отпущения', which is a direct and correct translation. However, be aware that the English verb 'to scapegoat' is common, whereas the Russian verb 'козлить' is informal and has a different, broader meaning.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'scape goat' (should be one word or hyphenated: scapegoat or scape-goat).
- Using it to mean simply 'a guilty person' instead of 'an unfairly blamed person'.
Practice
Quiz
What is the key implication when someone is described as a 'scapegoat'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It originates from William Tyndale's 1530 Bible translation, describing a ritual in Leviticus where a goat was symbolically laden with the sins of the people and sent into the wilderness ('escape' into the wild). 'Scape' is an archaic form of 'escape'.
No, it is commonly used as a verb as well (e.g., 'to scapegoat someone'). The adjective form 'scapegoated' is also standard.
They are synonyms, but 'fall guy' is more informal and often used in contexts of crime or deliberate setups. 'Scapegoat' has broader social, political, and psychological applications and can imply a more systemic process of blame-shifting.
Yes, though less common. Institutions, countries, or abstract concepts can be described as scapegoats (e.g., 'Capitalism became the scapegoat for all social ills').
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