What does eject mean?
To eject is to force something or someone out suddenly and with authority — whether that means removing a disruptive spectator from a stadium, expelling a stuck disk from a computer drive, or launching a pilot clear of a failing aircraft. The word carries a strong sense of compulsion and abruptness: whatever is being ejected rarely leaves willingly. It derives from Latin eicere, meaning 'to throw out,' combining the prefix ex- ('out') with iacere ('to throw'), a root it shares with words like reject, inject, and trajectory. Today, eject functions chiefly as a verb across several domains: in everyday life (a machine ejecting its contents), in law and property management (removing occupants), in sports (officials ejecting players), and in aviation, where 'to eject' has become a specialized term for escaping an aircraft via an explosive-powered seat. Its derivatives include ejection, ejective, and ejector.
verbTo force or throw something out suddenly and forcibly from a place, container, or position; also, to compel someone to leave a place, especially a building or vehicle.
- To force someone to leave a place, especially by official order or physical removal.
- To physically throw or discharge something out from within, as a machine ejecting a disk.
- (Of a pilot) to escape an aircraft by means of an ejection seat.
- To emit lava, ash, or other material (of a volcano).
"The referee ejected the player for arguing with the call."
"Security guards ejected the heckler from the auditorium."
"The printer refused to eject the jammed paper until it was switched off."
Fighter pilots who eject experience forces of up to 20 Gs — their seat rockets out at over 150 mph in under a second.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of eject
Eject comes from Latin eicere, formed from ex- ('out') plus iacere ('to throw'), literally 'to throw out.' The word entered English in the early 17th century, initially used in legal and ecclesiastical contexts to describe the forcible removal of ministers or tenants. It shares its Latin root with cognates such as reject ('throw back'), inject ('throw in'), and deject ('throw down'), all reflecting the same core image of forceful motion through space.
Related word forms
How eject is actually used
Common in formal and technical registers; frequent in legal contexts (eviction), aviation, sports officiating, and computing. The transitive verb is standard; 'be ejected' is common in passive constructions. In informal American English, 'get ejected' is widely used in sports commentary.
Easily confused with eject
'Inject' means to introduce or force something into a space or body, while 'eject' means to force it out.