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

The government collapsed in December from a no-confidence vote over budgetary disputes for the first time since 1962, and Barnier was ousted after the shortest tenure in the history of the Fifth Republic. —Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 9 Sep. 2025

That means Bayrou's centrist minority government has been ousted — less than a year after the previous administration also collapsed. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025

Delépine took up his post with Art Basel in March 2022, shortly after the international art-fair operator ousted French art fair FIAC from its longtime home in the City of Light’s iconic Grand Palais. —News Desk, Artforum, 9 Sep. 2025

Before the confidence vote, Bayrou warned lawmakers that ousting him would not resolve the country’s problems. —Saskya Vandoorne, CNN Money, 9 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)