French word

ostracisme

Pronunciation

IPA/ɔstʁasizm/

Meaning

  • masculine nounostracism

Example

Les enfants pratiquent l'ostracisme contre lui.

The children are ostracizing him.

Illustration for ostracisme (ostracism)

More examples

À l'école, il a subi l'ostracisme de ses camarades.

At school, he was subjected to ostracism by his classmates.

Core concept

A person is pushed outside a group and left standing alone while the others close ranks.

Similar words

mise à l'écart: Treatment that keeps someone at a distance and limits their participation.
exclusion: Being prevented from joining a particular group.
isolement: A state of being alone and having no contact with others.
rejet: The act of refusing to accept someone or something.

Definition in French

Action d'exclure une personne d'un groupe social, entraînant son isolement ou son rejet par les autres.

Word origin

French ostracisme comes through Greek ostrakismos, the practice of voting to exile someone in ancient Athens with a potsherd.

Usage tips

  • Ostracisme is masculine, and its formal, severe tone often suits sustained exclusion more than a brief act of ignoring.

Other meanings

  • exclusionnoun
  • social isolationnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word