Scapegoat
noun / verb /ˈskeɪp.ɡoʊt/ — A person blamed for the wrongdoings of others
Definition
A person, group, or entity that is made to bear the blame for others' mistakes, failures, or sins — often as a way to deflect collective guilt or redirect anger. The scapegoat takes the punishment they do not deserve so others avoid the punishment they do.
Beyond the definition
Scapegoat names one of humanity's most persistent mechanisms — the need to externalise guilt. Understanding the word helps you see the pattern: when collective responsibility becomes intolerable, a scapegoat is created.
Origin & history
Biblical: on Yom Kippur, a goat was ritually laden with the people's sins and sent into the wilderness to carry them away — the 'escape goat'. The word entered English via William Tyndale's 1530 Bible translation.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
When the project failed, the junior employee became the scapegoat for decisions made three levels above them.
History is full of scapegoats — outsider groups blamed for the failures of systems they didn't control.
She saw the scapegoating beginning and left before it could fully land on her.
How to use it
Follow this entry’s examples for grammatical form and sentence placement.
Choose “Scapegoat” when the meaning fits your context: A person, group, or entity that is made to bear the blame for others' mistakes, failures, or sins — often as a way to deflect collective guilt or redirect anger. The scapegoat takes the punishment they do not deserve so others avoid the punishment they do.
Synonyms
fall guy, whipping boy, victim, blame target
Antonyms
perpetrator, the responsible party
Related words
Scapegoat vs victim
A victim is someone harmed by events. A 'scapegoat' is specifically someone chosen to take the blame for others' collective failings to avoid wider accountability.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
At work
The newest person on the team had followed the group's decisions. When their shared project failed, everyone blamed that colleague instead of acknowledging their own part.
The colleague becomes the scapegoat: one person is made to carry blame that belongs to a wider group. Making someone a scapegoat shifts responsibility rather than dealing fairly with the failure.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Scapegoat" mean?
Scapegoat is noun / verb meaning: A person blamed for the wrongdoings of others. A person, group, or entity that is made to bear the blame for others' mistakes, failures, or sins — often as a way to deflect collective guilt or redirect anger. The scapegoat takes the punishment they do not deserve so others avoid the punishment they do.
Where does the word "Scapegoat" come from?
Biblical: on Yom Kippur, a goat was ritually laden with the people's sins and sent into the wilderness to carry them away — the 'escape goat'. The word entered English via William Tyndale's 1530 Bible translation.