What does ostracising mean?
Ostracising means deliberately excluding someone from a social group, community, or circle by denying them friendship, recognition, or participation. It usually implies not merely overlooking a person but persistently treating them as unwanted or unacceptable. The term can describe interpersonal rejection, as when colleagues isolate a colleague, or wider political and social exclusion. It is often stronger and more deliberate than simply ignoring someone, and it may carry a formal or institutional tone when describing the treatment of minority groups, dissidents, or outspoken individuals. The word derives from ancient Athens, where a formal vote could exclude a citizen perceived as a threat. That historical connection gives the modern expression its distinctive association with banishment and civic ostracism. In British English, "ostracising" is the usual present-participle spelling; US English uses "ostracizing."
verb (present participle/gerund)To exclude someone from a group, community, or social circle, especially by deliberately ignoring or rejecting them.
- To exclude a person from a social group or community by deliberately denying them friendship, recognition, or participation.
"The inquiry found that senior colleagues had ostracised the employee after she raised concerns."
"No one spoke to him after the dispute, and he felt completely ostracised from the team."
"The reformist writer was politically ostracised following the publication of her essay."
Ancient Athenians banished opponents by writing their names on pottery shards, giving modern ostracism its enduring image of formal exclusion.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does ostracising come from?
The word comes from Greek ostrakon, meaning a potsherd or tile. In ancient Athens, citizens whose names appeared on pottery shards could be banished without formal accusation. The modern verb entered English in the 17th century through the Latin-derived form "ostracize," originally meaning to exclude by ostracism and later broadened to mean social or political exclusion.
Related word forms
How ostracising is actually used
The form with -s- is standard in British English, while US English normally uses "ostracizing." The word is serious and often conveys a deliberate, sustained rejection rather than a temporary disagreement. Its historical association with political exclusion also makes it suitable for describing institutional or community marginalization.
Easily confused with ostracising
"Ostracising" is the British present-participle form of "ostracize," the base form of the verb.