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

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

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

Garner has never worried much about the risk of ostracism, which she has repeatedly courted by sticking to her own artistic code and her own moral compass.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 10, 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