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

Houston has relented, however, following the council’s ouster of Commissioner Omar Farmer, an outspoken police critic, and a cooling-off of tensions between Houston and Commissioner Ricardo Garcia-Acosta, the current chair of the watchdog body. — Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 24 June 2026

And he was so reviled by the Hollywood establishment that none other than Frank Sinatra hand-delivered a letter calling for his ouster. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 24 June 2026

Mnangagwa has been in power since 2017, when the military backed the ouster of his mentor and Zimbabwe's longtime ruler, Robert Mugabe, who died in 2019. — ABC News, 24 June 2026

The result in November 2022 was Chapek’s ouster from the company and Iger’s return as CEO. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 23 June 2026

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