What does "ostracize" mean?
To ban a person from a city for five or ten years through the procedure of ostracism.
Ostracize
/ˈɒstɹəsaɪz/ verb
verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To ban a person from a city for five or ten years through the procedure of ostracism.
- Grammar: ostracize is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: ban, shun, alienated, alienates.
- Useful contrasts: befriending, buddies, citizen by grant.
- Usage evidence: Lajos decided to ostracize Olivia.
How to use "ostracize"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ostracize" 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 "ostracize" 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 "ostracize" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ostracize" 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 "ostracize" is acting as verb 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 "ban" 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.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "ostracize", 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
Verb
- 1 To ban a person from a city for five or ten years through the procedure of ostracism. British, English, Oxford, US, historical, transitive
"Republics have been accused of being ungrateful. Aristides was ostracised for being called the Just, and Themistocles banished, after saving his country from desolation."
- 2 avoid speaking to or dealing with wordnet
- 3 To exclude a person from a community or from society by not communicating with them or by refusing to acknowledge their presence; to refuse to associate with or talk to; to shun. British, English, Oxford, US, broadly
"You then moſt Noble Equivocations and Alluſions, whom Rhetorick would Oſtraciſe, ſeek Revenge for your Baniſhment; [...]"
- 4 expel from a community or group wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"Lajos decided to ostracize Olivia."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ostracize"?
Common synonyms include: ban, shun, alienated, alienates, alienating, anathemise.
How do you use "ostracize" in a sentence?
Lajos decided to ostracize Olivia.
How do you pronounce "ostracize"?
Pronounced /ˈɒstɹəsaɪz/.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ὀστρακίζω (ostrakízō, “to banish from a city by ostracism”), from ὄστρᾰκον (óstrăkon, “earthenware vessel; fragment of such a vessel, potsherd”) (from the fact that when voting was held to decide whether to banish people, their names were inscribed on potsherds) + -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō, suffix forming verbs)). The English word is cognate with French ostraciser.