ostracize
OSS-truh-size
/ˈɒstrəsaɪz/
To exclude someone from a society or group.
Implies a collective decision by a group to ignore or banish an individual, often resulting in social isolation.
The story behind the word. In ancient Athens, citizens could vote to banish a dangerous politician for ten years. They didn't use paper ballots; instead, they scratched the person's name onto a piece of broken pottery called an 'ostrakon.' If enough shards were collected, the person was 'ostracized'—literally 'sharded' out of the city.
Word relationships
- shun: Shun is often a more personal or religious form of avoidance, while ostracize feels more like an official group action.
- exclude: Exclude is a general term; ostracize specifically implies a social punishment.
- welcome: To welcome is to greet someone with pleasure.
- embrace: To embrace is to accept someone into a group with enthusiasm.
Commonly confused with
- ostrich: An ostrich is a bird; the words are unrelated, though some joke that ostracized people 'bury their heads' like ostriches.
Word family
- ostracism (noun): Exclusion from a society or group.
Collocations
- socially ostracized
- completely ostracized
- fear of being ostracized
Idioms & expressions
- give someone the cold shoulder
- send to Coventry
Example sentences
- "After reporting the safety violations, the engineer was ostracized by his colleagues, who refused to sit with him at lunch." The social cost of whistleblowing.
- "In many ancient cultures, to be ostracized was a fate worse than death, as survival depended entirely on the tribe." Historical punishment in small communities.
Memory hook
Think of being 'sized' up and then kicked out with an 'ostrakon' (shard). Voted out on a shard.
When not to use
Do not use for simply 'ignoring' someone for a moment; it refers to a systematic social exclusion.
Fun facts
- The Athenian practice of ostracism was not for criminals, but for people who were becoming too powerful and might threaten the democracy.
Related words
Explore more words
Ostracism, banish, shun, excommunicate, marginalization, marginalized
Also appears in
- Emotions → Loneliness & Isolation
- Relationships → Inclusivity & Belonging
- Relationships → Exclusion & Ostracism
- Relationships → Infamy & Notoriety
- Relationships → Peer Pressure & Conformity
- Demographics & Urban Studies → Segregation & Redlining
- Sociology & Social Anthropology → Caste Systems & Untouchability
- Student Life & Schooling → School Social Dynamics
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.