ostracize
[ os-truh-sahyz ]
verb (used with object),os·tra·cized, os·tra·ciz·ing.
to exclude, by general consent, from society, friendship, conversation, privileges, etc.: His friends ostracized him after his father's arrest.
to banish (a person) from their native country; expatriate.
(in ancient Greece) to banish (a citizen) temporarily by popular vote.
Origin of ostracize
1- Also especially British, os·tra·cise .
Other words for ostracize
Opposites for ostracize
Other words from ostracize
- os·tra·ciz·a·ble, adjective
- os·tra·ci·za·tion [os-truh-sahy-zey-shuhn], /ˌɒs trəˌsaɪˈzeɪ ʃən/, noun
- os·tra·ciz·er, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for ostracize
ostracize
ostracise
/ (ˈɒstrəˌsaɪz) /
verb(tr)
to exclude or banish (a person) from a particular group, society, etc
(in ancient Greece) to punish by temporary exile
Origin of ostracize
1C17: from Greek ostrakizein to select someone for banishment by voting on potsherds; see ostracon
Derived forms of ostracize
- ostracism, noun
- ostracizable or ostracisable, adjective
- ostracizer or ostraciser, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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