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

For now, the ride-hailing companies are operating under a summer agreement with the city’s mayor and taxi authority to end lockouts, provided business returns remain acceptable. —Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2024

According to a Cincinnati Public Schools spokesperson, College Hill Academy and Aiken High School were both placed on lockouts at 1:45 p.m. for less than an hour, meaning the doors to the schools were locked and visitors were not allowed inside but classroom instruction continued. —Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 14 Oct. 2024

Verb

Zoom in: Meta has started testing facial recognition to verify the identities of users who are locked out of their Facebook or Instagram accounts, Monika Bickert, Meta's vice president of content policy, told reporters. —Sam Sabin, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024

For the longest time, anime was locked out from most international markets. —Ollie Barder, Forbes, 16 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