dropout

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noun drop·out \ ˈdräp-ˌau̇t \

Definition of dropout

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

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See dropout defined for kids

Examples of dropout in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of dropout from the Web

Here are some fast facts about the importance of Early Childhood learning and development: •Preschool can help combat crime, teen pregnancy and high school dropout rates.

— Cincinnati.com, "Column: Early childhood learning is important for all children," 18 Aug. 2017
Among the 19 women, 74 percent were African American, 95 percent had Medicaid or no health insurance, 53 percent were obese, 32 percent were high school dropouts, and 15 percent were HIV-positive.

— marie mccullough, Philly.com, "More U.S. women are dying in childbirth. What can be done?," 17 Aug. 2017
Welcome to The Intel, a blog examining the hot military news of the day The dropout rate in SEAL training is infamously high.

— jeanette steele, sandiegouniontribune.com, "1st woman drops out of Navy SEAL intro pipeline," 11 Aug. 2017
Upper West Side progressives care a great deal about the admissions rules at Columbia but have relatively little to say about the dropout rate for black men in New York City’s public schools.

— kevin d. williamson, National Review, "Campus Racial Preferences, Again," 3 Aug. 2017
The dropout rate has since fallen to 8.5 percent, from 22 percent in 2005.

— kate taylor, New York Times, "New York Schools for Off-Track Students May Face Stricter Rules," 16 July 2017
Since launching in 2015, The Cup has reached nearly 10,000 girls across Kenya, as well as teenage mothers and school dropouts in other areas.

— abigail jones, MSNBC Newsweek, "The Period Movement: Meet the Men Fighting to Stop Menstruation-Shaming in the Developing World," 12 July 2017
Education Communities in Schools of Miami, CIS of Miami, an affiliate of the nationwide dropout prevention program, appointed Evan A. Kanter to its board of directors.

— cindy kent, Sun-Sentinel.com, "People on the move: Career moves in South Florida," 29 June 2017
Many are dropout recovery schools, including Life Skills schools in Cleveland and Elyria and Invictus High School in Cleveland.

— patrick o'donnell, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson wants two new charter schools blocked for review, but state says no," 27 June 2017

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

First Known Use of dropout

1930

drop out

play

verb \ ˌdräp-ˈau̇t \

Definition of drop out

intransitive verb

:to withdraw from participation or membership :quit; especially :to withdraw from conventional society

See drop out defined for kids

First Known Use of drop out

1875

DROPOUT Defined for English Language Learners

dropout

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noun

Definition of dropout for English Language Learners

: a person who stops going to a school, college, etc., before finishing : a person who drops out of school
: a person who stops being involved in society because he or she does not believe in its rules, customs, and values

DROPOUT Defined for Kids

dropout

play

noun drop·out \ ˈdräp-ˌau̇t \

Definition of dropout for Students

:a person who quits school or a training program

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See words that rhyme with dropout Nglish: Translation of dropout for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of dropout for Arabic speakers

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