blacklist

American  

[blak-list] / ˈblækˌlɪst /

noun

1. a list of persons under suspicion, disfavor, censure, etc..

   His record as an anarchist put him on the government's blacklist.

2. a list privately exchanged among employers, containing the names of persons to be barred from employment because of untrustworthiness or for holding opinions considered undesirable.

3. a list drawn up by a labor union, containing the names of employers to be boycotted for unfair labor practices.

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verb (used with object)

1. to put (a person, group, company, etc.) on a blacklist.

   Synonyms:

   ostracize, shun, ban, proscribe, debar, bar, blackball

blacklist British  

/ ˈblækˌlɪst /

noun

1. a list of persons or organizations under suspicion, or considered untrustworthy, disloyal, etc, esp one compiled by a government or an organization

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verb

1. (tr) to put on a blacklist

blacklist Cultural  

1. Concerted action by employers to deny employment to someone suspected of unacceptable opinions or behavior. For example, individual workers suspected of favoring labor unions have often been blacklisted by all the employers in a region.

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Discover More

During the McCarthy era (see Joseph P. McCarthy) in the 1950s, the careers of many public figures suspected of communist activities were ruined by blacklisting.

Other Word Forms

• blacklisting
  noun

Etymology

Origin of blacklist

First recorded in 1610–20; black + list ¹

Explanation

When people are deliberately excluded from a group or boycotted, the list of their names is a blacklist. Several industries created blacklists during the US anti-communist period of the 1940s and 50s. One of the most famous blacklists was the one established in Hollywood in 1947, with the intention of keeping Communists and their "sympathizers" from working in the film industry. You can use the word as a verb too, meaning to put someone's name on such a list, or to exclude them from employment or inclusion. The term itself dates all the way back to the 17th century, when it was defined as "list of persons who have incurred suspicion."

Example Sentences

The hackers say "we're putting UK retailers on the Blacklist".

From BBC • May 14, 2025

There are many well-established running clubs across Los Angeles, like We Run LA, Blacklist LA, Runnings Mamis and many others.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2023

His other credits include "What We Do in the Shadows," "30 Rock," "The Blacklist" and "Gotham."

From Salon • Jul. 31, 2023

Nonetheless, John Eisendrath, a writer and executive producer of The Blacklist, told me in a phone conversation that the studio raised no complaints about these or any other episodes.

From Slate • Jul. 21, 2023

Ubisoft Toronto isn’t a stranger to Splinter Cell — the last game in the franchise, 2013’s Blacklist, was the first game the studio shipped.

From The Verge • Dec. 15, 2021

Related Words

• banish
• blackball
• expel
• ostracize
• snub