What does walkout mean?
A walkout is a coordinated refusal to continue working, usually by employees seeking to protest a dispute involving pay, hours, conditions, or workplace policy. By leaving the workplace together, workers make their disagreement immediately visible and interrupt ordinary operations. The term can also describe an organized departure from a meeting, legislative chamber, or other body as a protest. In everyday use, “walkout” usually refers to a labor dispute, while the phrase “walk out” describes the action itself. It should not be confused with a lockout, in which an employer closes the workplace and prevents employees from working. The word is used in British and American English and is common in news reporting, industrial relations, and political coverage.
nounA walkout is a stoppage of work in which employees leave their workplace collectively, usually to protest a dispute over pay, conditions, or policy. The term can also refer to an organized departure from a meeting, assembly, or organization as a form of protest.
- A collective stoppage of work caused by employees leaving their workplace, usually in protest over pay, conditions, or policy.
- An organized departure from a meeting, assembly, or organization as a gesture of protest.
"The company remained closed after a walkout by its workers over wage cuts."
"The union called a walkout after management rejected its proposal on pensions."
"Several delegates staged a walkout to protest the committee's decision."
The plural refers to separate work stoppages or organized protests, not to the employees who participate in one.
"Several walkouts disrupted production at the factory during the dispute."
When workers walk out, an empty workplace makes the disagreement impossible to ignore.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does walkout come from?
Walkout is an English compound formed from “walk” and “out,” both of which are native English words: “walk” continues Old English wealcan, while “out” continues Old English ūt. The compound developed by extending the literal idea of walking out to describe a deliberate withdrawal from work or a public body. Related words based on “out,” such as “outward” and “outgoing,” share the same historical source.
How walkout is actually used
The word most often denotes collective industrial action and is generally neutral in tone, although the circumstances may be contentious. In other contexts it can mean a deliberate departure as protest. The closed form “walkout” is a noun; the verb is normally written as the phrasal verb “walk out.”
Easily confused with walkout
In a walkout, employees leave work to protest; in a lockout, an employer closes the workplace to prevent work from continuing.