deus ex machina
noun/phrase | /deus ex machina/
an unexpected power or event that resolves a hopeless situation; contrived resolution
Literal meaning:
"god from the machine"
deus ex machina
noun/phrase | /deus ex machina/
Foreign Words & PhrasesLatinHARDan unexpected power or event that resolves a hopeless situation; contrived resolution
Literal meaning:
"god from the machine"
Learning Progress
Examples
"The sudden inheritance felt like a deus ex machina in the story."
"Critics complained that the ending relied on a deus ex machina."
Mnemonic Trick
Originally a stage device lowering a god onto the scene to resolve the plot
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