ostracism

American  

[os-truh-siz-uhm] / ˈɒs trəˌsɪz əm /

noun

1. exclusion, by general consent, from social acceptance, privileges, friendship, etc.

2. (in ancient Greece) temporary banishment of a citizen, decided upon by popular vote.

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Etymology

Origin of ostracism

1570–80; < New Latin ostracismus < Greek ostrakismós banishment, equivalent to ostrak ( ízein ) to ostracize + -ismos -ism

Explanation

If you banish someone from society, you've caused that person's ostracism. Quakers, for example, faced ostracism by Puritans in colonial Massachusetts and many of them fled to the nearby colony of Rhode Island. Ostracism comes from the Greek word ostrakon, a broken shard of pottery. Athenians used pieces of pottery as a paper substitute in an annual vote in which citizens chose to banish someone from Athens for a period of ten years. The banished person had to leave (or face death) but was allowed to keep his property and could return when his ostracism was up. The vote was often used to get rid of potential tyrants and political rivals.

Example Sentences

In nonviolent settings, it leads to mean-girl-style ostracism or political backstabbing around the corporate watercooler.

From Slate • Mar. 16, 2026

But even after his ostracism, Themistocles never lost his loyalty to the demos.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026

Its leaders used cult-like tactics such as “love-bombing” and social ostracism to push people beyond their comfort zones, and to isolate and punish dissenters.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2025

The tragedy is that Manjhiyain had no clue about this - she was busy trying to survive what had been the most harrowing few months of her life, enduring ostracism and abject poverty, she adds.

From BBC • Dec. 13, 2023

You will face more hate and ridicule and ostracism than you can even begin to fathom.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah