:: COMPARE ::
The short answer
Exil is usually imposed, though CNRTL's own entry allows a fixed term as well as a life sentence and a voluntary departure too; dépaysement is usually temporary and often chosen. But the distinction is younger than it looks — CNRTL notes the oldest sense of dépaysement was quasi-synonymous with exile. The pleasantness is a later acquisition.
Side by side
| Aspect | Dépaysement | Exil |
|---|---|---|
| Chosen | Usually | Usually not |
| Duration | Temporary | Usually permanent — CNRTL also allows a fixed term |
| Valence | Either | Painful |
| Originally | Near-synonyms | Near-synonyms |
What each one means
Dépaysement is a change of surroundings and habits — usually the pleasant kind you travel for, sometimes the disorientation of being lifted out of your familiar setting. In French law it also means moving a trial to another jurisdiction.
Full definition of Dépaysement →The contrast above sets out how Exil differs from Dépaysement on the points that actually matter.