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ostracize

OSS-truh-syz /ˈɒs.trə.saɪz/

verbC1GRESATACTGMAT

generalacademic

To exclude someone from a society, community, or group by general consent.

Implies a deliberate collective decision by a community to cold-shoulder or banish an individual.

The story behind the word. In 5th-century BCE Athens, citizens held annual votes to protect democracy. They wrote the name of any politician deemed dangerous on broken pieces of pottery called 'ostraka'. If a politician received 6,000 votes, he was banished from the city for ten years.

Word relationships

banish: 'Banish' usually implies official legal exile, while 'ostracize' often involves social shunning.
shun: 'Shun' can be done by an individual, whereas 'ostracize' implies a collective group effort.

welcome: 'Welcome' means to accept someone cordially into a group.
embrace: 'Embrace' implies active inclusion and enthusiasm.

Commonly confused with

ostentatious: 'Ostentatious' means showy or pretentious, completely unrelated to 'ostracize'.

Word family

ostracism (noun): Exclusion by general consent from social acceptance or privileges.

Collocations

ostracize a member
be ostracized by
socially ostracize
completely ostracize

Idioms & expressions

send to Coventry

Example sentences

"Whistleblowers in the corporation were ostracized by colleagues who feared retaliation." Community dynamics
"Anyone who dared to challenge the prevailing religious doctrine was immediately ostracized." Historical account

Memory hook

OSTRA-cize: imagine writing a name on an OSTRAkon (pottery shard) to kick them out. Voted out on a broken pot.

When not to use

Do not use for temporary physical separation or accidental neglect.

Fun facts

In ancient Athens, being ostracized did not mean losing your property; you were simply banished for ten years to cool political tensions.