ouster

noun

oust·​er ˈau̇-stər 

1

a

: a wrongful dispossession

b

: a judgment removing an officer or depriving a corporation of a franchise

2

: expulsion

Examples of ouster in a Sentence

The news reported the ouster of the dictator.

the dictator's ouster by the rebels

Recent Examples on the Web

Until last year, when the destruction of Hezbollah’s offensive capabilities in Lebanon, which led to the ouster of the Assad regime, brought them face-to-face with one another in Syria. —Kamran Bokhari, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025

That report fueled demands for her ouster and a special election granting the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors the power to remove her by a four-fifths vote. —Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025

This week, Republican Supervisor Jim Desmond asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the county, citing Vu’s claims as well as last month’s ouster of the county’s top lawyer. —Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025

President Trump is suddenly demanding the ouster of Intel’s new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, amid concerns about his ties to China. —PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Anglo-French, from oster, ouster to oust

First Known Use

1531, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

ouster

noun

oust·​er ˈau̇s-tər 

: the act or an instance of ousting or being ousted

Legal Definition

ouster

noun

oust·​er ˈau̇s-tər 

1

: wrongful dispossession especially of a cotenant

2

: a judgment removing a public officer or depriving a corporation of a public franchise