lockout

1 of 2

noun

lock·​out ˈläk-ˌau̇t 

: the withholding of employment by an employer and the whole or partial closing of the business establishment in order to gain concessions from or resist demands of employees

lock out

2 of 2

verb

locked out; locking out; locks out

transitive verb

: to subject (a body of employees) to a lockout

Examples of lockout in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Between the 1996-97 season and 2017-18, San Antonio hit at least 50 wins every year expect 1998-99, which had the first few months of the year under a lockout. —David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

If no agreement is reached, the WNBA could have a potential player lockout. —Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 23 Oct. 2024

Verb

Biden’s team was locked out of briefings from critical federal agencies like the Pentagon, the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. —Brian Bennett, TIME, 2 Nov. 2024

Getting locked out of the house is a painful, but all too familiar reality for millions of people. —Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1853, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1853, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

lockout

noun

lock·​out -ˌau̇t 

: the stopping of work or closing of a plant by an employer during a labor dispute in order to make the employees come to terms

Legal Definition

lockout

noun

lock·​out ˈläk-ˌau̇t 

: the withholding of employment by an employer in order to gain concessions from or resist demands of employees