What does "lockout" mean?
The opposite of a strike; a labor disruption where management refuses to allow workers into a plant to work even if they are willing.
Lockout
noun
noun ·2 syllables ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The opposite of a strike; a labor disruption where management refuses to allow workers into a plant to work even if they are willing.
- Grammar: lockout is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: account lockout, arrest, authentication lockout, ban.
- Useful contrasts: access restoration, account unlock, circumvention.
- Usage evidence: These conditions can be changed and the interest of the working class upheld only by an organization formed in such a way that all its members in any one industry, or in all industries if necessary, cease work whenever a strike or lockout is on in any department thereof, thus making an injury to one an injury to all.
How to use "lockout"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lockout" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "lockout" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "lockout" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lockout" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "lockout" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "account lockout" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "lockout", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The opposite of a strike; a labor disruption where management refuses to allow workers into a plant to work even if they are willing.
"The first was in the Babylonian halls of the big hotel, which was the meeting place of the three commercial magnates concerned with arranging for a coal lock-out and denouncing it as a coal strike, the second was in a curious tavern, having the façade of a grocery store, where met the more subterranean triumvirate of those who would have been very glad to turn the lock-out into a strike—and the strike into a revolution."
- 2 a management action resisting employee's demands; employees are barred from entering the workplace until they agree to terms wordnet
- 3 The action of installing a lock to keep someone out of an area, such as eviction of a tenant by changing the lock.
- 4 The exclusion of certain people from a place, event, situation, etc. broadly
"It's another front-row lockout for Mercedes on the starting grid of the Japanese Grand Prix."
- 5 The restriction of a population to a certain area, but allowing free movement within that region, in order to prevent the spread of disease. Compare lockdown.
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 The situation of being locked out of a building.
"a locksmith who is willing to deal with emergency lockouts"
- 7 A situation where the system is not responding to input.
- 8 A safety device designed to prevent touching a moving part when it is under operation; a safety device to keep the power supply turned off during repairs; the standardized practice and method whereby such devices are deployed.
"lockout–tagout"
- 9 The final portion of a weightlifting motion where all applicable limbs or joints are fully extended or "locked out".
- 10 An exercise meant to increase strength in the lockout portion of a lifting motion.
"Tip: For Bigger Triceps, Do Heavy Lockouts"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"These conditions can be changed and the interest of the working class upheld only by an organization formed in such a way that all its members in any one industry, or in all industries if necessary, cease work whenever a strike or lockout is on in any department thereof, thus making an injury to one an injury to all."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lockout"?
Common synonyms include: account lockout, arrest, authentication lockout, ban, bar, barring.
How do you use "lockout" in a sentence?
These conditions can be changed and the interest of the working class upheld only by an organization formed in such a way that all its members in any one industry, or in all industries if necessary, cease work whenever a strike or lockout is on in any department thereof, thus making an injury to one an injury to all.
Etymology
Deverbal from lock out.