boycott

verb boy·cott \ ˈbȯi-ˌkät \

|Updated on: 13 Aug 2018

Definition of boycott

boycotted; boycotting; boycotts

: to engage in a concerted refusal to have dealings with (a person, a store, an organization, etc.) usually to express disapproval or to force acceptance of certain conditions

boycotting American products

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boycott

noun

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boycotter

noun

See boycott defined for English-language learners

See boycott defined for kids

boycott was our Word of the Day on 01/07/2008. Hear the podcast!

Examples of boycott in a Sentence

plans to boycott American products
They boycotted the city's bus system.
We boycotted companies that were polluting the environment.

Recent Examples of boycott from the Web

The Yankees were furious at ESPN, reportedly threatening to boycott the network by not granting interviews to its commentators, analysts or reporters for the remainder of the season.

— randy harvey, latimes.com, "Poor ESPN? Poor Yankees? Which side did you cheer for in this networking battle?," 6 June 2018
Meanwhile, Qatar and the boycotting Arab nations continue to needle each other through local media.

— Washington Post, "AP News Guide: What to know about the year-old Qatar crisis," 5 June 2018
While some fans threatened to boycott the service over the news, it was largely seen as a sign of the company’s power and ability to attract big-name talent.

— abigail abrams, Fortune, "Netflix Is Now Worth More Than Comcast And Coming Close to Disney," 23 May 2018
Some passengers had threatened to boycott AirAsia before Tony Fernandes released his video apology.

— james hookway, WSJ, "AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes Apologizes for Malaysia Election Video," 13 May 2018
When Megyn Kelly, a Fox News anchor, asked Mr Trump some mildly prosecutorial questions while moderating a primary debate, Mr Trump threatened to boycott the network.

— The Economist, "The president’s takeover of his party is near complete," 19 Apr. 2018
Spring break in Florida isn't the only thing David wants Americans to boycott.

— emily wang, Teen Vogue, "Parkland Survivor David Hogg Called for a Boycott of Florida Spring Break," 26 Feb. 2018
For example, players threatened to boycott games and sponsors threatened to pull their deals.

— michael mccann, SI.com, "How the NBA Will Investigate and Potentially Punish Mark Cuban and the Mavericks," 23 Feb. 2018
Reactions to the merchandise ranged from people strongly suggesting that the site re-evaluate their vetting process for sellers, to some customers threatening to boycott the company altogether and calling for others to do the same.

— Essence.com, "Amazon Removes Racist 'Slavery Gets Sh*t Done' Apparel From Website Following Backlash," 25 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'boycott.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

In the 1870s, Irish farmers faced an agricultural crisis that threatened to result in a repeat of the terrible famine and mass evictions of the 1840s. Anticipating financial ruin, they formed a Land League to campaign against the rent increases and evictions landlords were imposing as a result of the crisis. Retired British army captain Charles Boycott had the misfortune to be acting as an agent for an absentee landlord at the time, and when he tried to evict tenant farmers for refusing to pay their rent, he was ostracized by the League and community. His laborers and servants quit, and his crops began to rot. Boycott's fate was soon well known, and his name became a byword for that particular protest strategy.

Origin and Etymology of boycott

Charles C. Boycott †1897 English land agent in Ireland who was ostracized for refusing to reduce rents

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1880

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Economics Terms

actuary, compound interest, globalization, indemnity, portfolio, rentier, stagflation, usurer

BOYCOTT Defined for English Language Learners

boycott

verb

Definition of boycott for English Language Learners

: to refuse to buy, use, or participate in (something) as a way of protesting : to stop using the goods or services of (a company, country, etc.) until changes are made

BOYCOTT Defined for Kids

boycott

verb boy·cott \ ˈbȯi-ˌkät \

Definition of boycott for Students

boycotted; boycotting

: to join with others in refusing to deal with someone (as a person, organization, or country) as a way of protesting or forcing changes

boycott

noun

Definition of boycott for Students

: the process or an instance of joining with others in refusing to deal with someone (as a person, organization, or country) as a way of protesting or forcing changes

Law Dictionary

boycott

transitive verb boy·cott \ ˈbȯi-ˌkät \

legal Definition of boycott

: to engage in a concerted refusal to have dealings with (as a store, business, or organization) usually to express disapproval or to force acceptance of certain conditions — see also primary boycott, secondary boycott

Note: A boycott of a business by its competitors, suppliers, or buyers that has the effect of preventing the business's access to the market is a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

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