noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of expulsion
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin expulsiōn- (stem of expulsiō ), equivalent to expuls ( us ) driven out (past participle of expellere to expel ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Don't ever make a joke about a bomb on an airplane, if you don't want to risk expulsion. Expulsion is being kicked out of something, like a club, a school, or an airplane. If a Girl Scout ate all the cookies she'd already sold, she might face expulsion from her Girl Scout troop, and an unruly high school student who threatens to hit a teacher risks expulsion from school. Historically, many religious and minority groups faced expulsion from countries where their beliefs weren't tolerated. In fact, the Latin root word of expulsion is expellere, "to drive out."
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Since then, the university has investigated the “Cornell Seven”—the seven frat brothers directly involved—and imposed discipline ranging from expulsion to compulsory essay writing.
From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026
No sanction has yet been decided upon but City could face substantial points deductions, a fine or even expulsion from the top division.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
The sanctions for City have not yet been decided but potential punishments include expulsion from the league, points deductions and fines.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Possible penalties include massive points deductions and expulsion from the Premier League.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Infractions resulted in suspension by Mr. Muhammad, or isolation for various periods, or even expulsion for the worst offenses “from the only group that really cares about you. ’
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
He continued: "With its traditional covert footprint eviscerated by almost 1,000 expulsions since the invasion, the Kremlin's global toolkit is weak. So we see them scrambling to pay criminals to do their bidding."
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
The expulsions from Pakistan and alleged abuse intensified after a major escalation in fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan last October.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
Then it flashes back to the 1490s expulsions of Jews from the Iberian Peninsula, which triggered migrations to other European countries, North Africa and the New World.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026
Acknowledging the Pentagon expulsions, Iran’s embassy in South Africa posted photos on social media Friday x-ing out portraits of several top U.S. military officials fired in recent months.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 5, 2026
I was in a pool of my own foul expulsions.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
