Exit vs. Quit: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Exit generally means to leave a place or situation, while quit implies stopping an activity or ending participation.
Key Differences
Exit typically refers to the act of leaving a physical location or a virtual environment. It suggests a movement out of an area. Quit, on the other hand, implies cessation of an action, job, or habit, often permanently or for an indefinite period.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 06, 2023
In the context of computer applications, 'exit' often means closing the program, returning the user to the previous menu or the desktop. Conversely, 'quit' in the same context may imply stopping the use of an application or a service, often with the intention not to resume shortly.
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Dec 06, 2023
Exit can also mean a way out, such as an exit door or route in a building, emphasizing the physical aspect of leaving. In contrast, quit is used in situations involving commitments or activities, like quitting a job or quitting smoking, focusing on the act of stopping.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 06, 2023
In theater or performance, exit refers to an actor leaving the stage. Quit, in a broader sense, could be used when someone decides to stop performing or participating in an activity altogether.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 06, 2023
Exit is often a neutral term, whereas quit can carry a connotation of giving up, abandoning, or relinquishing something, especially in contexts of challenges or difficulties.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 06, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Primary Meaning
To leave a place or situation
To stop or end an activity or participation
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Usage in Technology
Often means closing a program or a menu
Implies stopping the use of an application or service
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Physical vs. Abstract
More physical, like leaving a location
More abstract, like ending an action or commitment
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Connotation
Generally neutral
Can imply giving up or stopping due to difficulty
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Contextual Application
Used in physical and virtual environments
Used in relation to activities, jobs, habits
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Exit and Quit Definitions
Exit
Exit can mean a way out, like an emergency exit.
The exit is clearly marked with a green sign.
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Dec 06, 2023
Exit
Exit means to go out of or leave a place.
Please use the rear door to exit the building.
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Dec 06, 2023
Exit
In performance, exit means an actor leaving the stage.
After delivering her lines, she made a swift exit.
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Quit
To depart from; leave
"You and I are on the point of quitting the theater of our exploits" (Horatio Nelson).
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Oct 19, 2023
Exit
Exit also implies departure from a situation.
He made a quick exit from the awkward conversation.
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Dec 06, 2023
Quit
To leave the company of
Had to quit the gathering in order to be home by midnight.
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Oct 19, 2023
Exit
A passage or way out
An emergency exit in a theater.
Took the second exit on the throughway.
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Oct 19, 2023
Quit
(Archaic) To conduct (oneself) in a specified way
Quit yourselves like adults.
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Oct 19, 2023
Quit
To cease an action or cease working properly; stop
The car quit on the hill.
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Oct 19, 2023
Quit
To abandon an activity out of frustration or despair; give up
Saw that he would never get the part and quit.
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Oct 19, 2023
Exit
(Computers) To terminate the execution of (an application)
Exited the subroutine.
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Oct 19, 2023
Exit
An act of going out or going away, or leaving; a departure.
He made his exit at the opportune time.
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Oct 19, 2023
Quit
(usually followed by of) Released from obligation, penalty, etc; free, clear, or rid.
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Oct 19, 2023
Exit
An opening or passage through which one can go from inside a place (such as a building, a room, or a vehicle) to the outside; an egress.
Emergency exit
Fire exit
He was looking for the exit and got lost.
She stood at the exit of the house looking back and waving at those inside.
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Oct 19, 2023
Exit
(road transport) A minor road (such as a ramp or slip road) which is used to leave a major road (such as an expressway, highway, or motorway).
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Oct 19, 2023
Exit
The act of departing from life; death.
The untimely exit of a respected politician
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Oct 19, 2023
Exit
(intransitive) To go out or go away from a place or situation; to depart, to leave.
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Oct 19, 2023
Exit
(theatre) To leave a scene or depart from a stage.
Desdemona exits stage left.
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Oct 19, 2023
Quit
(transitive) To set at rest; to free, as from anything harmful or oppressive; to relieve; to clear; to liberate.
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Oct 19, 2023
Quit
(transitive) To release from obligation, accusation, penalty, etc.; to absolve; to acquit.
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Oct 19, 2023
Quit
To resign from (a job, office, position, etc.).
After having to work overtime without being paid, I quit my job.
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Oct 19, 2023
Quit
To stop, give up (an activity) (usually + gerund or verbal noun).
John is planning to quit smoking.
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Oct 19, 2023
Quit
Any of numerous species of small passerine birds native to tropical America.
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Oct 19, 2023
Exit
The departure of a player from the stage, when he has performed his part.
They have their exits and their entrances.
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Oct 19, 2023
Quit
Any one of numerous species of small passerine birds native of tropical America. See Banana quit, under Banana, and Guitguit.
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Oct 19, 2023
Exit
Any departure; the act of quitting the stage of action or of life; death; as, to make one's exit.
Sighs for his exit, vulgarly called death.
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Oct 19, 2023
Quit
Released from obligation, charge, penalty, etc.; free; clear; absolved; acquitted.
The owner of the ox shall be quit.
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Oct 19, 2023
Exit
A way of departure; passage out of a place; egress; way out.
Forcing the water forth through its ordinary exits.
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Oct 19, 2023
Quit
To set at rest; to free, as from anything harmful or oppressive; to relieve; to clear; to liberate.
To quit you of this fear, you have already looked Death in the face; what have you found so terrible in it?
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Oct 19, 2023
Exit
An opening that permits escape or release;
He blocked the way out
The canyon had only one issue
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Oct 19, 2023
Quit
To release from obligation, accusation, penalty, or the like; to absolve; to acquit.
There may no gold them quyte.
God will relent, and quit thee all his debt.
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Oct 19, 2023
Quit
To discharge, as an obligation or duty; to meet and satisfy, as a claim or debt; to make payment for or of; to requite; to repay.
The blissful martyr quyte you your meed.
Enkindle all the sparks of natureTo quit this horrid act.
Before that judge that quits each soul his hire.
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Oct 19, 2023
Quit
To meet the claims upon, or expectations entertained of; to conduct; to acquit; - used reflexively.
Be strong, and quit yourselves like men.
Samson hath quit himselfLike Samson.
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Oct 19, 2023
Exit
Move out of or depart from;
Leave the room
The fugitive has left the country
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Oct 19, 2023
Quit
To carry through; to go through to the end.
Never worthy prince a day did quitWith greater hazard and with more renown.
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Oct 19, 2023
Quit
To have done with; to cease from; to stop; hence, to depart from; to leave; to forsake; as, to quit work; to quit the place; to quit jesting.
Such a superficial way of examining is to quit truth for appearance.
Does not the earth quit scores with all the elements in the noble fruits that issue from it?
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Oct 19, 2023
Exit
Pass from physical life and lose all all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life;
She died from cancer
They children perished in the fire
The patient went peacefully
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Oct 19, 2023
Exit
In technology, exit refers to closing a program or window.
Click the 'X' button to exit the application.
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Dec 06, 2023
Quit
Give up or retire from a position;
The Secretary fo the Navy will leave office next month
The chairman resigned over the financial scandal
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Oct 19, 2023
Quit
Give up in the face of defeat of lacking hope; admit defeat;
In the second round, the challenger gave up
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Oct 19, 2023
Quit
Quit means to stop doing something, often permanently.
He decided to quit smoking for his health.
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Dec 06, 2023
Quit
Quit can imply leaving a job or position.
She quit her job to start her own business.
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Dec 06, 2023
Quit
In applications, quit means to cease using a service.
I quit the subscription service due to high costs.
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Dec 06, 2023
Quit
Quit also means giving up, especially in difficult situations.
Despite the challenge, he refused to quit.
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Dec 06, 2023
Quit
Quit suggests abandonment of a habit or activity.
She quit playing the piano due to lack of time.
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Dec 06, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
Do exit signs only refer to physical locations?
Yes, they usually indicate a physical way out.
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Dec 06, 2023
Does quit imply finality?
Often, but not always, it can imply a long-term stop.
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Dec 06, 2023
Is quitting always a voluntary action?
Usually, but it can be involuntary in some contexts.
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Dec 06, 2023
Is quit appropriate for describing leaving a room?
No, quit is more about stopping an activity or commitment.
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Dec 06, 2023
Does quit have a negative connotation?
Sometimes, especially in the context of giving up.
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Dec 06, 2023
Are exit strategies important in business?
Yes, they plan for how to leave a venture or situation.
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Dec 06, 2023
Is exit used in computer programming?
Yes, often to leave a function or program.
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Dec 06, 2023
Can exit be used for leaving a job?
No, exit typically refers to leaving a place, not a job.
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Dec 06, 2023
Is quitting always a conscious decision?
Generally, it involves a deliberate choice.
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Dec 06, 2023
Is an exit interview related to employment?
Yes, it's when an employee leaves a company.
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Dec 06, 2023
Does exit have a clear direction?
Typically, it's outward or away from a place.
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Dec 06, 2023
Can exit be used in a digital context?
Yes, like exiting a website or online platform.
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Dec 06, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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