lockout

1 of 2

noun

lock·​out ˈläk-ˌau̇t 

: the withholding of employment by an employer and the whole or partial closing of the business establishment in order to gain concessions from or resist demands of employees

lock out

2 of 2

verb

locked out; locking out; locks out

transitive verb

: to subject (a body of employees) to a lockout

Examples of lockout in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

With the collective bargaining agreement ending after next season, a salary cap discourse may lead to a lockout. —Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025

Nashville’s lockout from the major categories year after year (aside from an outlier like Beyonce’s one-time genre dip) is bound to stir discussion going forward. —Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025

Verb

The concern for Democrats would be the high number of candidates running, splitting up the vote, and giving an opportunity for two Republicans to advance to the general election, and that they would be locked out of the governorship in a race they would otherwise be favored in. —Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025

The hope is that if homeowners could move without losing their low rates, more homes would go up for sale, giving buyers who’ve been locked out a better shot, Wachter said. —Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 13 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1853, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1853, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

lockout

noun

lock·​out -ˌau̇t 

: the stopping of work or closing of a plant by an employer during a labor dispute in order to make the employees come to terms

Legal Definition

lockout

noun

lock·​out ˈläk-ˌau̇t 

: the withholding of employment by an employer in order to gain concessions from or resist demands of employees