Exile
Zones & actions
A zone outside the game — not the graveyard, and hard to get back.
How it works
Exile is a game zone. Cards put there are removed from the normal flow of the game (older cards said 'remove from the game'). By default exiled cards are face up and any player may look at them.
Exile is the strongest common form of removal because it sidesteps most defenses: it doesn't use the word 'destroy,' so indestructible doesn't help, and the card leaves play entirely rather than going to the graveyard.
Common confusions
“Can graveyard recursion get an exiled card back?”
No. Exile is a different zone from the graveyard. 'Return a card from your graveyard' won't touch exiled cards.
“'Exile until ~ leaves the battlefield' effects.”
These are linked abilities. If the exiling permanent leaves before its return ability would trigger (or the exiled card changes zones again), the card can be stranded in exile permanently.
“My commander would be exiled.”
Commander replacement: its owner may choose to put it into the command zone instead of having it go to exile (or the graveyard).