A scapegoat
Meaning
A person or group made to bear the blame for others' mistakes or failures.
Origin
In the ancient Hebrew ritual of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, two goats were presented before the Lord. One goat was chosen by lot to be sacrificed, its blood spilling to atone for the sins of the priests and the community. The high priest then placed his hands upon the head of the second goat, confessing all the iniquities and transgressions of the Israelites over it, symbolically transferring their sins onto the animal. This "goat of removal" or "Azazel goat" was then led into the wilderness and set free, carrying away the sins of the people into an uninhabited land. This powerful ritual gave birth to the term "scapegoat," originally meaning the animal that "escapes" or "bears away" the sins of the community, and evolving into its modern usage for anyone who unjustly shoulders blame.
Examples
- When the project failed, the junior manager became the scapegoat for the entire team's errors.
- It's unfair to make the new employee a scapegoat for problems that were already present before they arrived.