oust

verb

ˈau̇st 

ousted; ousting; ousts

transitive verb

1

a

: to remove from or dispossess of property or position by legal action, by force, or by the compulsion of necessity

The rebels ousted the dictator from power.

b

: to take away (something, such as a right or authority) : bar, remove

The states do not like attempts by Congress to oust their jurisdiction.

2

: to take the place of : supplant

must be careful that quantity does not oust quality

—R. V. Williams

Synonyms

• banish
• boot (out)
• bounce
• cast out
• chase
• dismiss
• drum (out)
• eject
• expel
• extrude
• kick out
• out
• rout
• run off
• throw out
• turf (out) [chiefly British]
• turn out

Choose the Right Synonym for oust

eject, expel, oust, evict mean to drive or force out.

eject carries an especially strong implication of throwing or thrusting out from within as a physical action.

ejected an obnoxious patron from the bar

expel stresses a thrusting out or driving away especially permanently which need not be physical.

a student expelled from college

oust implies removal or dispossession by power of the law or by force or compulsion.

police ousted the squatters

evict chiefly applies to turning out of house and home.

evicted for nonpayment of rent

Examples of oust in a Sentence

The rebels ousted the dictator from power.

Large national banks are ousting local banks in many communities.

Recent Examples on the Web

The report comes amid turmoil following the unexpected removal early last month of Dewan, who subsequently sued the board for ousting her without cause. —Molly Gibbs, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024

And in 2022, Chesa Boudin, who advocated for restorative justice and ending mass incarceration, was ousted as San Francisco’s district attorney in a recall. —Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024

In July, the British company ousted its former CEO Jonathan Akeroyd with Joshua Schulman, a former Michael Kors executive, hoping for a turnaround. —Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 5 Nov. 2024

The other side: Larry Turner, the police officer looking to oust him, has argued declining crime numbers merely reflect fewer crime reports from residents who've learned police won't respond. —Andrew Keatts, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French oster, ouster to take off, remove, oust, from Late Latin obstare to ward off, from Latin, to stand in the way, from ob- in the way + stare to stand — more at ob-, stand

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

oust

verb

ˈau̇st 

: to force or drive out (as from office or from possession of something)