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

the ouster of the dictator

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

The sudden ouster and the board’s efforts to have Bisch dismissed in the weeks before he was let go prompted an angry no-confidence vote from the food bank’s executive team demanding answers, accountability and Bisch to return to work. —Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 26 Nov. 2025

Throughout 2019, a group of women came to the Capitol each week to protest, seeking Byrd’s ouster. —Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 13 Nov. 2025

Before Hasina’s ouster, the United States didn’t do much to check the course of democratic backsliding in Bangladesh. —Muhib Rahman, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2025

According to three people with direct knowledge of Waltz’s ouster, Loomer had nothing to do with it. —Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 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