1
as in exclusion
treatment that is deliberately exclusionary
Teenagers may act against their better judgement to avoid social ostracism.
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2
as in exile
the forced removal from a homeland
His family celebrated his safe return after nearly a decade of political ostracism.
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Recent Examples of ostracism
In ancient humans and other primates, reputational damage can bar access to food and mates, incite physical confrontations and, in extreme cases, lead to potentially fatal ostracism.
—
Clarissa Brincat, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2025
Bans, booing and ostracism The labeling of Israel as a pariah state internationally does not seem to bother the government.
—Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 23 Aug. 2025
Columbia’s own antisemitism task force found last summer that Jewish students had faced verbal abuse, ostracism and classroom humiliation during the spring 2024 demonstrations.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 24 July 2025
For many women—and men—around the world, infertility is a dire burden that comes with intense social stigma and community ostracism.
—Marcia C. Inhorn, Foreign Affairs, 9 Nov. 2015
See All Example Sentences for ostracism
Clarissa Brincat, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2025
Bans, booing and ostracism The labeling of Israel as a pariah state internationally does not seem to bother the government.
—Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 23 Aug. 2025
Columbia’s own antisemitism task force found last summer that Jewish students had faced verbal abuse, ostracism and classroom humiliation during the spring 2024 demonstrations.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 24 July 2025
For many women—and men—around the world, infertility is a dire burden that comes with intense social stigma and community ostracism.
—Marcia C. Inhorn, Foreign Affairs, 9 Nov. 2015
See All Example Sentences for ostracism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostracism
Noun
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However, even after the peace proposal, Israeli sports teams have faced opposition and exclusion.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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From the very beginning, the league sets clear expectations about respect and behavior to create an environment where everyone can focus on the game, rather than worrying about judgment or exclusion.—
Evan Moore
November 7,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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No World Cup has been less about the self-aggrandizement of the hosts and yet no World Cup has ever been so overtly political as the 1938 tournament, as exiles from Germany and Italy took the opportunity to make very public their opposition to fascism.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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Her name appears on records for a modest condominium in Tampa, where her father and other family live in exile.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
There are two questions Gazans have usually asked each other since the start of this campaign of unrelenting and systematic destruction, starvation, displacement and mass killing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
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Washington examines varying experiences of displacement, writing with tenderness about the tolls of emigration and exile, both cultural and familial.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Israel’s first occupation of Gaza was characterized by war crimes, massacres, and expulsions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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Robert Eggers' first feature tells a folk horror tale about a devout family — led by father William (Ralph Ineson) and his wife, Katherine (Kate Dickie) — living on an isolated farm in 1630s New England after their expulsion from Puritan society.—
Michael Lee Simpson,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Neither Father Burke or Sister Irene realize it at the end of the movie, but Valak evades banishment by possessing Frenchie.—
Julie Tremaine,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
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The autocratic czarist regime ruled with an iron hand and suppressed opposition through censorship, banishment, and executions.—
Karl Ove Knausgaard,
New Yorker,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ostracism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostracism. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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