What does ostracizing mean?
Ostracizing means deliberately excluding or shunning someone from a group, community, or social circle. The term often suggests punishment, disapproval, or hostility rather than a neutral administrative decision. It can refer to interpersonal rejection, such as colleagues refusing to include a person, as well as institutional exclusion by a government, organization, or community. The word carries a serious and generally negative connotation because it implies that the target is being denied participation, acceptance, or support. In political and social commentary, ostracizing is frequently used to describe the treatment of minorities, dissidents, or opponents. Its historical background gives it a memorable connection to the ancient Greek practice of ostracism, in which a citizen could be banished through a public vote. Today, the word remains especially useful for describing exclusion that is systematic and deliberate.
verbTo exclude someone from a group, community, or social circle, especially as a form of punishment or rejection.
- To exclude or shun a person from a group or community, especially as punishment or social rejection.
"The committee ostracized the member after the vote."
"Her colleagues ostracized her after she challenged the company's policy."
"The government was accused of ostracizing political opponents rather than confronting them directly."
From the ancient Greek practice of ostracism, in which a citizen could be banished by writing his name on a pottery shard, ostracizing began as a way to remove someone without a formal conviction.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does ostracizing come from?
The word comes through Latin from Greek ostrakon, meaning a potsherd or tile. In ancient Athens, citizens wrote the names of people they wished to banish on pottery shards, a procedure called ostracism. The verb ostracize developed from this historical practice and originally referred to excluding a person by public vote, before acquiring its modern sense of social or political rejection.
Related word forms
How ostracizing is actually used
Generally formal and often strongly condemnatory. It describes deliberate social or institutional exclusion and is commonly used in political, workplace, educational, and community contexts.