Dictionary

ostracism en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈɒstɹəsɪz(ə)m/ (UK)
• /ˈɒs trəˌsɪz əm/ (General-American, US)
• ŏs′trə-sĭz″əm
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ὀστρακισμός (ostrakismós, “banishment by means of voting with pot shards”), from ὀστρακίζω (ostrakízō, “ostracize”) + -ισμός (-ismós, “-ism”), from ὄστρακον (óstrakon, “clay pot”).

Meanings

1. (countable, historical, uncountable) In ancient Athens (and some other cities), the temporary banishment by popular vote of a citizen considered dangerous to the state.
   • Take the ſweete herbe called pleaſant content; with that make a perfume about your bed chamber and where you dyne: the ſavour of this is as ſure a repulſe to exile melancholie, as the oſtracisme was to the noble of Athens. 1588, Robert Greene, Perimedes the Blacke-smith. […], London: Printed by Iohn Wolfe, for Edward White, →OCLC; republished as J[ohn] Payne Collier, editor, Perimedes the Blacke-smith (Miscellaneous Tracts Temp. Eliz. & Jac. I), [London: s.n., 1867?], →OCLC, page 13:
   • For this manner of banishment for a time, called ostracismos, was no punishment for any fault committed, but a mitigation and taking away of the envy of the people, which delighted to pluck down their stomacks that too much seemed to exceed in greatness: […] 1579, Thomas North, Plutarch's Lives, volume 2, translation of original by Plutarch, published 1898, Themistocles, page 35:
   • Witnesse the Ostracisme amongst the Athenians, and the Petalisme among the Siracusans. 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 32, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
2. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) Banishment by some general consent.
   • If I have deserved the land should spue me out, I will feed my selfe with the idle and windy conceite of an Ostracisme, and my unregarded poore selfe shall be all the richesse and commpany I crave to transport and if a Princes word […] 1602–1603, Lady Arbella Stuart, edited by Sara Jayne Steen, The Letters of Lady Arbella Stuart, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, published 1994, page 171:
3. (countable, uncountable) Temporary exclusion from a community or society.

Forms

Deriveds

ostracise · ostracize · semiostracism · cyberostracism

Relateds

send to Coventry

Synonyms

blacklisting · silent treatment · ostracism · discommendation · shunning · shunning · blackballing · petalism · petalism · avoidance · ostracization · ostracization

Translations (52)

nl schervengericht (in ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote) · de Ächtung (banishment, exclusion from community) · nl verbanning (banishment, exclusion from community) · de Scherbengericht (in ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote) · uk вигнання (banishment, exclusion from community) · sv ostracism (in ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote) · gl ostracismo (banishment, exclusion from community) · nl uitsluiting (banishment, exclusion from community) · it ostracismo (banishment, exclusion from community) · it ostracismo (in ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote) · de Ausgrenzung (banishment, exclusion from community) · fi eristäminen (banishment, exclusion from community) · sv uteslutning (banishment, exclusion from community) · es ostracismo (in ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote) · fr ostracisme (in ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote) · pl ostracyzm (banishment, exclusion from community) · cmn 陶片放逐制 (in ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote) · fi hyljeksiminen (banishment, exclusion from community) · bg отлъчване (banishment, exclusion from community) · fi ostrakismos (in ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote) · uk остракізм (in ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote) · ja 陶片追放 (in ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote) · gl ostracismo (in ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote) · uk остракізм (banishment, exclusion from community) · nl ostracisme (in ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote) · pl ostracyzm (in ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote) · fi sulkeminen ulkopuolelle (banishment, exclusion from community) · hi बहिष्कार (banishment, exclusion from community) · nl ostracisme (banishment, exclusion from community) · fr ostracisme (banishment, exclusion from community) · es ostracismo (banishment, exclusion from community) · ro ostracism (banishment, exclusion from community) · pt ostracismo (in ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote) · da udelukkelse (banishment, exclusion from community) · cmn 放逐 (banishment, exclusion from community) · ast ostracismu (banishment, exclusion from community) · ja 村八分 (banishment, exclusion from community) · ru остраки́зм (banishment, exclusion from community) · ru изгна́ние (banishment, exclusion from community) · is útskúfun (banishment, exclusion from community) · sv utfrysning (banishment, exclusion from community) · da udstødelse (banishment, exclusion from community) · ast ostracismu (in ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote) · ca ostracisme (in ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote) · fi ostrakismi (in ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote) · eo ostracismo (in ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote) · nl verwijdering (banishment, exclusion from community) · da ostrakisme (in ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote) · ca ostracisme (banishment, exclusion from community) · nl banning (banishment, exclusion from community) · ru остраки́зм (in ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote) · pt ostracismo (banishment, exclusion from community)