Japanese word

ボイコット

Pronunciation

Romajiboikotto

Meaning

nounboycott

Example

消費者はその商品をボイコットしています。shō hi sha wa so no shō hin o bo i ko tto shi te i ma su

Consumers are boycotting that product.

More examples

消費者団体は、環境に配慮しない企業に対するボイコットを呼びかけています。shō hi sha dan tai wa kan kyō ni hai ryo shi na i ki gyō ni tai su ru bo i ko tto o yo bi ka ke te i ma su

A consumer group is calling for a boycott of a company that does not care about the environment.

Core concept

Describes deliberately refusing to buy, use, or support something in order to create public pressure for change.

Common phrases

ボイコットを呼びかけるbo i ko tto o yo bi ka ke ru
call for a boycott
ボイコットに参加するbo i ko tto ni san ka su ru
join a boycott

Similar words

不買運動fubaiundō: An organized refusal to buy a product in order to pressure its seller or maker to change.

Definition in Japanese

政治的・社会的な抗議のため、特定の商品や企業などを意図的に買わないこと。sei ji teki sha kai teki na kō gi no ta me toku tei no shō hin ya ki gyō na do o i to teki ni ka wa na i ko to

Word origin

The loanword ボイコット (boikotto, "boycott") comes from the English surname Boycott, the name of Charles Boycott, an Irish land agent whose tenants refused to deal with him in 1880.

Usage tips

In English, a boycott can target a service or event as well as a product, so the word covers refusing support, not only refusing to shop.

Related words

ボイコットするboikottosuruboycottverb