lockout

[lok-out]

noun

1. the temporary closing of a business or the refusal by an employer to allow employees to come to work until they accept the employer's terms.

lockout

1. The withholding of work from employees and closing down of a plant by an employer during a labor dispute.

Word History and Origins

Origin of lockout¹

First recorded in 1850–55; noun use of verb phrase lock out

Example Sentences

Others say the partial funding is a functional lockout.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The WNBA's current collective bargaining agreement will end on October 31, 2025, raising the possibility of a lockout if no agreement is reached before the deadline.

Read more on Barron's

The lockout has been especially frustrating for Collett, who works in IT.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The union, whose vehement resistance to a salary cap could prompt a prolonged lockout after next season, views the Brewers as proof that MLB’s free-market financial model works.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Collective bargaining negotiations are scheduled to start next year, with the growing likelihood of a lockout after the 2026 season.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blockage 
• closure 
• interruption 
• layoff 
• shutdown 
• walkout