word
Scapegoat
A person made to bear the blame for others.
Origin
From Leviticus 16: on the Day of Atonement, the high priest symbolically transferred the people's sins to a goat, which was then driven into the wilderness. The word entered English via William Tyndale's 16th-century translation.
Modern usage
Used constantly in politics, workplaces, and families โ anywhere blame is being shifted from the responsible party to a convenient target.
In the wild
The middle manager became the scapegoat for a failure that started at the top.โ common usage
Tags
blame
ritual