dropout

1 of 2

noun

drop·​out ˈdräp-ˌau̇t 

1

a

: one who drops out of school

b

: one who drops out of conventional society

c

: one who abandons an attempt, activity, or chosen path

a corporate dropout

2

: a momentary defect on a magnetic tape or disk caused by a temporary loss of signal

drop out

2 of 2

verb

ˌdräp-ˈau̇t 

dropped out; dropping out; drops out

intransitive verb

: to withdraw from participation or membership : quit

especially : to withdraw from conventional society

Examples of dropout in a Sentence

Noun

The program is designed for dropouts who wish to get high school equivalency certificates.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Holmes, a Stanford University dropout, launched Theranos in 2003 and built it into a high-profile company backed by some of America’s richest people: Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, and the Walton family of Walmart. —Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 4 June 2024

Among children in those situations, unless special care is taken to locate them and help them, there will be high absenteeism and school dropout rates, leading to disastrous outcomes including juvenile delinquency. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 2 Mar. 2024

Verb

Several founders started their companies during college, like Bom Kim, who dropped out of Harvard to start e-commerce giant Coupang. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 4 June 2024

In March, Murphy dropped out of the Senate primary race. —Susan Davis, NPR, 4 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1930, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1875, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

dropout

1 of 2 noun

drop·​out ˈdräp-ˌau̇t 

: a person who drops out especially from a school or a training program

drop out

2 of 2 verb

dräp-ˈau̇t 

: to withdraw from taking part or membership : quit

dropped out of school