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
dropped out; dropping out; drops out
: 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
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026
During this storm, some space weather forecasters reported temporary data dropouts, likely caused by intense proton fluxes degrading spacecraft measurements.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
Davies more or less browbeat her into terminating the pregnancy, and dropped out of college.
—Christopher Tayler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dropout
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Noun
Meanwhile, if the prize were awarded for power per second of screentime, Gaby Hoffmann, playing a nineteen-sixties dropout in survival mode, would win; her furious silence is as eloquent as her terse determination, and her voice, quietly oracular, is one of the most memorable things in the movie.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026
During this storm, some space weather forecasters reported temporary data dropouts, likely caused by intense proton fluxes degrading spacecraft measurements.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Verb
Just last week, legendary soprano Renée Fleming dropped out of an appearance at the venue scheduled for May, which the Center’s site explained was due to a scheduling conflict.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
Davies more or less browbeat her into terminating the pregnancy, and dropped out of college.
—Christopher Tayler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dropout
Cite this Entry
“Dropout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dropout. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
: to withdraw from taking part or membership : quit
dropped out of school
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