1
as in exclusion
treatment that is deliberately exclusionary
Teenagers may act against their better judgement to avoid social ostracism.
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2
as in exile
the forced removal from a homeland
His family celebrated his safe return after nearly a decade of political ostracism.
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Recent Examples of ostracism
The family struggled with ostracism and loneliness.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Dissenting opinion brings ostracism, loss of work and grants and friendships.
—Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
But this ostracism has also been felt more widely across Israeli society, including among the large numbers of Israelis who oppose the war.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
In ancient humans and other primates, reputational damage can bar access to food and mates, incite physical confrontations and, in extreme cases, lead to potentially fatal ostracism.
—Clarissa Brincat, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostracism
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Dissenting opinion brings ostracism, loss of work and grants and friendships.
—Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
But this ostracism has also been felt more widely across Israeli society, including among the large numbers of Israelis who oppose the war.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
In ancient humans and other primates, reputational damage can bar access to food and mates, incite physical confrontations and, in extreme cases, lead to potentially fatal ostracism.
—Clarissa Brincat, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostracism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostracism
Noun
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Empower responded, essentially, that retirement savers deserve a crack at the lucrative private investment market, after decades of exclusion.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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The word pariah in English maintains the sense of social exclusion informed by a negative ethical judgment of social value.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Widespread protests saw the resignation of senior government officials and the exile of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.—
Sven van Mourik,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
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Marchenko fled Ukraine several years ago, and the complications of being in exile color much of this record.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The humanitarian toll continues to rise as families flee neighborhoods reduced to rubble, and aid groups warn that displacement on this scale is straining Lebanon’s already fragile infrastructure.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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The Broncos also still have to finalize negotiations with Denver Water around the displacement of their facilities from the Burnham Yard area.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In space, there is no gravity to assist with such expulsions.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
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Yet few have been deported, even as the White House pushes for ever more immigrant expulsions.—
Molly A. Wallace,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But how Andrew’s de facto banishment would affect his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, wasn’t known.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
31 Mar. 2026
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Both view the Lebanese government as still completely incapable of disarming Hezbollah, though both were shocked at the new assertiveness of Beirut as seen by Tuesday’s banishment of Iran’s ambassador.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ostracism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostracism. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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