First Known Use: 1697
Dictionary
deus ex machina
noun de·us ex ma·chi·na \ˈdā-əs-ˌeks-ˈmä-ki-nə, -ˈma-, -ˌnä; -mə-ˈshē-nə\
: a character or thing that suddenly enters the story in a novel, play, movie, etc., and solves a problem that had previously seemed impossible to solve
Full Definition of DEUS EX MACHINA
1
: a god introduced by means of a crane in ancient Greek and Roman drama to decide the final outcome
2
: 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
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Origin of DEUS EX MACHINA
New Latin, a god from a machine, translation of Greek theos ek mēchanēs
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