exit

Exit is a common noun and verb in English. As a noun, it denotes a way out of a place; as a verb, to exit means to leave or depart. The word derives from the Latin exire, “to go out.”

In architecture and safety planning, an exit is a designated means of egress from a building. Exits are planned with travel paths, doors, and sometimes stairs that lead to the exterior or to a safe area. Codes specify minimum numbers of exits, visibility, accessibility, and unobstructed routes in both normal and emergency conditions.

Exit signs mark routes to safety. They are typically illuminated and comply with local standards, with colors and symbols varying by jurisdiction. In many countries, signs indicate egress routes and are accompanied by internationally recognized symbols to aid visibility during emergencies.

In computing, exit refers to terminating a program, process, or shell session. The exit command or function ends execution and returns an exit status code to the operating system, commonly with 0 indicating success and nonzero indicating an error.

The term is used in other contexts as well. Exit polls survey voters as they leave polling stations to predict outcomes. The word is also used in media and culture as a title for films, books, and music.