ostracism

noun

os·​tra·​cism ˈä-strə-ˌsi-zəm 

1

: a method of temporary banishment by popular vote without trial or special accusation practiced in ancient Greece

Ostracism of political opponents was a common practice in ancient Athens.

2

: exclusion by general consent from common privileges or social acceptance

For years she suffered ostracism from the scientific community.

Ostracism is a common fate for tell-all writers.

—R. S. Coburn

Examples of ostracism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Advertisement At the height of the nation’s struggle of conscience over the Vietnam War, that decision had multiple possible consequences for a young man: ostracism by friends and family, loss of employment opportunities, and lifetime stigma as being unpatriotic or worse — a coward. —Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2024

But many of these laws focus on prohibiting forced conversion, including by threat of violence, invoking divine displeasure, and promising social ostracism if somebody refuses to convert. —Arundhati Katju, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2020

For gay men and women, 1950s conformity enforced by McCarthyism meant that the revelation of their sexuality could lead to financial ruin, ostracism and even worse. —Lorraine Berry, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2024

For many, that equates to the right of the Jewish people to have their own state and self-determination in an ancestral homeland after centuries of oppression and ostracism in much of the world. —Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin ostracismus, borrowed from Greek ostrakismós, from ostrakízein "to ostracize" + -ismos -ism

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

ostracism

noun

os·​tra·​cism ˈäs-trə-ˌsiz-əm 

1

: a method of temporary banishment by popular vote without trial practiced in ancient Greece

2

: a general refusal to include someone as part of a social group