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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been serving as national security adviser since the ouster of Waltz, who was nominated to serve as Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations. Matthew Lee, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2025 Talks about this kind of safety labeling change began before the ouster of the FDA's previous top vaccines official, Dr. Peter Marks, multiple people familiar with the situation said, but had not yet been finalized as officials wrestled with how to accurately present the findings. Paula Cohen, CBS News, 21 May 2025 Pakistan has been racked by political polarization since the ouster in 2022 of Prime Minister Imran Khan — whose rise and fall were both believed to be supported by military generals — and his subsequent imprisonment. Zia Ur-Rehman, New York Times, 16 May 2025 That included America’s near-default last summer and the resulting ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the first time in history a speaker was given the boot during a legislative session, and Congress’ inability to cement a replacement for weeks. Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for ouster

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ouster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ouster. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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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