dropout

1 of 2

noun

drop·​out ˈdräp-ˌau̇t 

1

a

: one who drops out of school

b

: one who drops out of conventional society

c

: one who abandons an attempt, activity, or chosen path

a corporate dropout

2

: a momentary defect on a magnetic tape or disk caused by a temporary loss of signal

drop out

2 of 2

verb

ˌdräp-ˈau̇t 

dropped out; dropping out; drops out

intransitive verb

: to withdraw from participation or membership : quit

especially : to withdraw from conventional society

Examples of dropout in a Sentence

Noun

The program is designed for dropouts who wish to get high school equivalency certificates.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Even before the crisis, attorneys argued, public education in Flint failed children, using low graduation rates and high dropout rates as evidence. —Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 26 Sep. 2024

As a result, the frame stays light while providing rigidity in areas such as the bottom bracket, dropouts, and head tube. —Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2024

Verb

Key Background Biden dropped out of the race on July 21 after resisting calls from within his own party for weeks to end his reelection bid in the wake of his disastrous performance in the June 27 debate. —Sara Dorn, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2024

Despite starting the campaign with roughly $100 million, DeSantis dropped out after losing the first contest in Iowa. —Thomas Beaumont and Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1930, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1875, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

dropout

1 of 2 noun

drop·​out ˈdräp-ˌau̇t 

: a person who drops out especially from a school or a training program

drop out

2 of 2 verb

dräp-ˈau̇t 

: to withdraw from taking part or membership : quit

dropped out of school