ouster

noun

oust·​er ˈau̇-stər How to pronounce ouster (audio)
1
a
: a wrongful dispossession
b
: a judgment removing an officer or depriving a corporation of a franchise
2

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 firestorm that followed helped hasten their ousters. Sharon Otterman, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024 The prospect of Johnson's ouster, should Greene and Massie proceed, threatens to exacerbate existing divisions within the fractured conference after House Republicans ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year. TIME, 16 Apr. 2024 Henry was forced to resign last month by Washington at the insistence of Caribbean Community leaders, who had grown weary of him as a powerful consortium of gangs demanded his ouster. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024 That meant, yet again, House Speaker Mike Johnson needed to rely on Democrats to get the bills across the finish line -- a move that landed his predecessor Kevin McCarthy in hot water and led to his ouster as speaker last year. Lauren Peller, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2024 The 24-page special grand jury report is the most detailed public accounting to date of the shooting that generated national attention, stirred outrage by parents and led to the ouster of the school district’s superintendent. Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024 There is little appetite for bringing the House to a standstill, especially given the fresh memories of the three-week speaker election that followed McCarthy's ouster last fall. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024 The Georgia lawmaker has publicly criticized Johnson for working with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown, the same act that sparked former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s ouster last year. USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024 Four men suspected of carrying out a deadly attack at a Moscow concert hall have appeared in court, the Kevin McCarthy-Matt Gaetz feud heats up months after the former speaker’s ouster. Nick Duffy, NBC News, 25 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ouster.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Anglo-French, from oster, ouster to oust

First Known Use

1531, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ouster was in 1531

Dictionary Entries Near ouster

Cite this Entry

“Ouster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ouster. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

ouster

noun
oust·​er ˈau̇s-tər How to pronounce ouster (audio)
: the act or an instance of ousting or being ousted

Legal Definition

ouster

noun
oust·​er ˈau̇s-tər How to pronounce ouster (audio)
1
: wrongful dispossession especially of a cotenant
2
: a judgment removing a public officer or depriving a corporation of a public franchise

More from Merriam-Webster on ouster

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