boycott

verb

boy·cott | \ˈbȯi-ˌkät

boycotted; boycotting; boycotts

Definition of boycott

: 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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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.

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 on the Web

Ireland's Senate approved legislation to boycott products made in Israeli settlements . — Sean Savage, Jewish Journal, "Ireland goes ahead with legislation to boycott products made in Israeli settlements," 12 July 2018 The assorted controversies led some in and around the music industry to boycott his work. — Isaac Feldberg, EW.com, "Rapper XXXTentacion shot and killed in Florida," 18 June 2018 Some customers have even expressed their intent to boycott the cosmetic retailer using the hashtag #BoycottLush. — Amanda Arnold, The Cut, "Everything to Know About the Lush Police Campaign Controversy," 6 June 2018 Columnist Christine Flowers used to be a fan of Samantha Bee, but Bee’s use of a slur against Ivanka Trump has her boycotting the comedian’s show. — Aubrey Nagle, Philly.com, "Foreign-born adoptees deported, Strawberry Mansion questions high school plans | Morning Newsletter," 4 June 2018 Hogg responded by calling on advertisers to boycott Ingraham’s show. — Gabriel Sherman, The Hive, "“You Don’t Attack a Kid”: Inside the Laura Ingraham Nightmare at Fox News," 5 Apr. 2018 But as King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference prepared to boycott buses in Montgomery in 1955, the phenomenon of TV was nationalizing. — Alexis C. Madrigal, The Atlantic, "When the Revolution Was Televised," 1 Apr. 2018 But the hotel’s response to the backlash, as well as Thomann’s statements on the Jewish community, were not enough to quell calls to boycott the hotel on Twitter. — Chris Riotta, Newsweek, "Swiss Hotel Says Jews Don’t Bathe Properly, as Anti-Semitism Rises in U.K.," 15 Aug. 2017 In earlier conflicts with foreign countries, Chinese citizens inflamed by nationalistic news coverage boycotted high-profile international brands like Toyota Motor Corp. and Hyundai Motor Co., hurting corporate profits and boosting Chinese leverage. — Bloomberg, Fortune, "Trump's Trade War Has Its First Victims in the U.S. and China. Here's Who They Are," 9 July 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.

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Last Updated

8 Oct 2018

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The first known use of boycott was in 1880

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More Definitions for boycott

boycott

verb

English Language Learners Definition of boycott

: 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

See the full definition for boycott in the English Language Learners Dictionary

boycott

verb

boy·cott | \ˈbȯi-ˌkät

boycotted; boycotting

Kids Definition of boycott

(Entry 1 of 2)

: 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

Kids Definition of boycott (Entry 2 of 2)

: 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

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.