What does blackballed mean?
"Blackballed" is the past tense of the verb "blackball," meaning to vote against someone's admission to a club or society, or, by extension, to deliberately exclude or ostracize them. The term derives from an old voting method in which members cast white balls to approve a candidate and black balls to reject them; even a single black ball could deny admission, making the practice a discreet form of collective judgment. Today the word appears most often in discussions of exclusive institutions, professional circles, and social dynamics where informal power decides who belongs. It carries a distinctly negative connotation, suggesting secretive or unfair exclusion rather than open disagreement. Related terms include "blacklist," which refers to an official list of people to be shunned, though the two are not interchangeable.
verbPast tense of "blackball": to vote against someone's admission to a club or group by placing a black ball in a ballot box, thereby excluding them; more broadly, to ostracize or exclude someone from a group or society.
- (of a group) voted against the admission of (someone) to membership, especially by using black balls in a ballot.
- Excluded or ostracized (someone) socially; refused to associate with them.
"The committee blackballed his application, and he never learned who had voted against him."
"The gentlemen's club blackballed him despite his impeccable references."
"After the scandal, she found herself blackballed by the entire industry."
The word comes from the literal practice of dropping a black ball into a box to vote 'no' on admitting someone to a club — one black ball could quietly end your membership dreams.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of blackballed
"Blackball" originated in early eighteenth-century England, when private clubs used balls of different colors to vote on candidates for membership: a white ball signified approval and a black ball rejection. This voting method gives the term its literal sense and explains its enduring association with exclusive societies. The broader sense of social ostracism developed naturally from this original meaning.
Related word forms
How blackballed is actually used
Somewhat formal and traditional in tone, often associated with exclusive clubs, fraternities, and old-fashioned social institutions. The extended sense of general exclusion carries a strongly negative connotation of deliberate, collective rejection.
Easily confused with blackballed
"Blacklisted" means being placed on an official list of people to be avoided or barred, whereas "blackballed" specifically means being voted out or excluded from a private club or society.