oust

verb

ˈau̇st 

ousted; ousting; ousts

transitive verb

1

a

: to remove from or dispossess of property or position by legal action, by force, or by the compulsion of necessity

The rebels ousted the dictator from power.

b

: to take away (something, such as a right or authority) : bar, remove

The states do not like attempts by Congress to oust their jurisdiction.

2

: to take the place of : supplant

must be careful that quantity does not oust quality

—R. V. Williams

Synonyms

• eject
• out
• banish
• dismiss
• chase
• expel
• evict

Choose the Right Synonym for oust

eject, expel, oust, evict mean to drive or force out.

eject carries an especially strong implication of throwing or thrusting out from within as a physical action.

ejected an obnoxious patron from the bar

expel stresses a thrusting out or driving away especially permanently which need not be physical.

a student expelled from college

oust implies removal or dispossession by power of the law or by force or compulsion.

police ousted the squatters

evict chiefly applies to turning out of house and home.

evicted for nonpayment of rent

Examples of oust in a Sentence

The rebels ousted the dictator from power.

Large national banks are ousting local banks in many communities.

Recent Examples on the Web

Patel defended his leadership of the bureau Tuesday as senators pressed him on the investigation into Charlie Kirk's killing, the Jeffrey Epstein case and the firings of senior officials who claim they were ousted in acts of political retribution. —Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025

She is swiftly ousted from society, a plot point that came as a shock to Dockery, even if the split from Henry Talbot (a charming Matthew Goode) did not. —Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025

Trump failed to oust Fed Governor Lisa Cook and is unlikely to secure the steep rate cut he’s demanded, with markets expecting only a 25bp move this week. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025

Trump has sought to oust Cook over allegations of mortgage fraud, though Cook has not been charged with any wrongdoing. —Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French oster, ouster to take off, remove, oust, from Late Latin obstare to ward off, from Latin, to stand in the way, from ob- in the way + stare to stand — more at ob-, stand

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for oust

• doused
• faust
• joust

Kids Definition

oust

verb

ˈau̇st 

: to force or drive out (as from office or from possession of something)