Scapegoat origin. To scapegoat someone means to blame them publicly for something bad that has happened, even though it was not their fault. In both cases, certain victims, heroes, enemies and scapegoats were at the heart of the interpretation. The word was coined by a Protestant scholar, William Tyndale, in 1530, when he undertook the task of the first translation of the entire Hebrew Bible into English. See examples of SCAPEGOAT used in a sentence. A target used to satisfy blame or criticism, often unjustly. They scapegoated environmental laws as the problem of the economy, instead of looking for real problems. It’s well-known that ‘scapegoat’ is a Biblical term. Apr 5, 2025 · Someone made to take the blame for a group’s failures or wrongdoings. And the practice of what we now call ‘scapegoating’ originates in the Bible, in the Old Testament book of Leviticus. It’s a strange word though – why ‘scapegoat’? For the origin we need to look to the Bible, specifically the 1530 Bible as translated by William Tyndale. The term scapegoat has Biblical origins, coming from the Book of Leviticus. In the Bible, a scapegoat is one of a pair of kid goats that is released into the wilderness, taking with it all sins and impurities, while the other is sacrificed. The term scapegoat comes from a Bible story where a goat carries away a group's sins. companies often use the economy as a scapegoat to avoid taking responsibility for dropping sales In the Bible, a scapegoat is one of a pair of kid goats that is released into the wilderness, taking with it all sins and impurities, while the other is sacrificed. Originating in 1530 from Tyndale's blend of "scape" (escape) + goat, "scapegoat" means a goat sent into wilderness symbolizing the people's sins. After the project failed, the manager made Tom the scapegoat to save his own reputation. Jun 22, 2024 · A scapegoat usually implies a person or group, but the mechanism of scapegoating can also apply to non-human entities, whether objects, animals, or demons. The following examples show scapegoats in the wild. Apr 5, 2025 · In times of crisis, leaders sometimes create a scapegoat to distract the public. Noun The CEO was made the scapegoat for the company's failures. In the book, a goat was sent into the desert carrying the sins of the community. May 14, 2025 · Scapegoating means unfairly blaming someone for problems to hide the real cause. In the Bible, a scapegoat is one of a pair of kid goats that is released into the wilderness, taking with it all sins and impurities, while the other is sacrificed. Scapegoat definition: a person or group made to bear the blame for others or to suffer in their place. It was sent into the wilderness for Azazel, an evil spirit, while another was slain in sacrifice to God. Oct 8, 2019 · Today we use the word ‘scapegoat’ to describe people who symbolically take on the sins of others. . In the situations described below, one individual takes all the blame, even if there's plenty of guilt to go around. The term ‘scapegoat’ is well-known: it refers to an innocent person who has to carry the blame for something on behalf of other people. Nov 7, 2024 · The term "scapegoat" refers to someone who unfairly takes the blame for others but its origins come from an ancient Hebrew religious custom. The term “scapegoat” originates from the ancient Hebrew ritual described in the Book of Leviticus (16:8–10) in the Hebrew Bible. Sociologists examine how scapegoating worsens between groups with economic problems or resource scarcity. Scapegoat, in the Yom Kippur ritual described in Leviticus, goat ritually burdened with the sins of the Jewish people. A scapegoat is like a whipping boy, that is, one who is unfairly given the blame, and in the latter’s case also the punishment, for a misdemeanour. Thus, in a 16th century English translation, the word for Azazel/the goat was rendered as scapegoote —that is, "goat that escapes. Anybody who is blamed for a bad situation or outcome — whether they deserve it or not — is known as a scapegoat. " The extended senses of scapegoat we use today evolved from this biblical use. Politicians have used the financial sector as a scapegoat for the global economic crisis. So let’s look at its origins. May 14, 2025 · Scapegoat theory is used in sociology and psychology as one way to intercept conflict and prejudice between individuals and groups. companies often use the economy as a scapegoat to avoid taking responsibility for dropping sales Scapegoat, in the Yom Kippur ritual described in Leviticus, goat ritually burdened with the sins of the Jewish people. An individual punished to shield others from responsibility. 1oyzda wpbev clhvjf wzk6 qt6ra d1z jp5dnvw s9bq krz8x vefn