oust
Americanverb (used with object)
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ousts,
present (3rd person singular)
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ousted,
past participle, past
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ousting
present participle
verb
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to force out of a position or place; supplant or expel
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property law to deprive (a person) of the possession of land
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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oustsimple
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oustssimple
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have oustedperfect
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has oustedperfect
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am oustingprogressive
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are oustingprogressive
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is oustingprogressive
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have been oustingperfect progressive
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has been oustingperfect progressive
Past
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oustedsimple
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had oustedperfect
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was oustingprogressive
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were oustingprogressive
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had been oustingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of oust
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Anglo-French ouster “to remove,” Old French oster, from Latin obstāre “to stand in the way, oppose” ( ob- ob- + stāre “to stand ”)
Explanation
A teacher may oust you from class if you are being disruptive, or you might oust your class president from her position if you beat her in the election. To oust is to “expel,” “kick out,” or “remove and replace.” When you oust someone, you are “giving them the boot.” A sports team is ousted from a tournament if they lose an elimination round. Oust often implies both removal and replacement. The automobile, for instance, ousted the horse as the preferred means of travel. Likewise, when a politician ousts someone from office they are taking that person’s place in office. And if you beat the all-time record in a hot-dog eating tournament, then you oust the previous record holder from their position.
Vocabulary lists containing oust
A Long Way Gone
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100 SAT words Beginning with "O"
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This Week in Words: November 10 - 16, 2018
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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:
On July 27, Chen filed another claim against the developers, the Madison Collection LLC, seeking to oust its property managers and transfer control to Panshi.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
India is also too big and decentralized for any group to oust the government simply by paralyzing the national capital.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
She was grateful to civilians for protesting to oust Syrsky.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Look at what’s been happening with Artificial, the Luca Guadagnino–directed movie about OpenAI’s failed attempt in late 2023 to oust CEO Sam Altman, played here by Andrew Garfield.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
He started with Allen Textiles Inc., buying up enough shares to oust the family from control.
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
Plus, defense contractor L3Harris Technologies ousts its CEO following an investigation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
GameStop ousts its C.E.O. and elevates its top shareholder.
From New York Times ● Jun. 8, 2023
If the NFL ousts Snyder — and takes control of the team — would that re-open the door for Bezos?
From Washington Times ● Feb. 26, 2023
Toluse Olorunnipa, Tom Hamburger, Josh Dawsey and Greg Miller wrote, in an article headlined "Trump ousts 2 key witnesses in impeachment" in the print edition:
From Salon ● Feb. 11, 2020
Thus the little Maryland yellow-throat, according to various authorities, often ousts the intruded egg, and its broken remains are also occasionally seen on the ground beneath the nests of the cat-bird and the oriole.
From My Studio Neighbors by William Hamilton Gibson
Plus, L3Harris ousted its CEO and the Justice Department moved to restore felons’ gun rights.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Parents have been concerned about the school since the summer when executive director David Hussey and assistant principal in charge of athletics Devon Rose were ousted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
Despite taking 73 shots worth 5.5 xG, the side lost five successive league games without scoring for the first time in 114 years – a run of defeats that saw Rosenior ousted as head coach.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Fermi ousted Neugebauer as CEO in April, leading to legal fights and a call by the executive, who is also a major shareholder, for changes that included possibly selling Fermi, an idea the company opposed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Further investigation eliminated other suspects, like the ruffian oil workers who had been pinpointed by Harve Freas, the ousted sheriff.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
The attacks have highlighted continuing instability in Libya, which has been split in two since a civil war broke out after the ousting of former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
The outage deepens a pre-existing economic headache for Magyar, who is under pressure to reduce a fiscal deficit and boost growth after ousting long-serving premier Viktor Orbán in April.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Just a short walk away, protesters marched under placards calling for his ousting as chants demanding an end to the resort project echoed off government buildings.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
Hahn was under fire from voters in South L.A., who criticized him for ousting Parks as police chief, and in the San Fernando Valley, where he had successfully defeated a secession movement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
The sandblasters have been here, the skylight people; inside, the benjamina trees and tropical climbers have taken over, ousting the mangy African violets once nurtured on kitchen windowsills.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
