ostracize

Meanings

• Verb

  To exclude or reject someone permanently from a group or community.

  - "The new member was ostracized because of his controversial ideas."
  - "The children who were different were often ostracized in school."
  - "The politician was ostracized by his own party for his unpopular views."

• Noun

  A formal act of excluding or expelling someone from a group.

  - "The ostracism of the dissident artist was a controversial topic in the art world."
  - "The ancient Greeks practiced ostracism as a way to remove unpopular leaders."
  - "The ostracism of the leper colony was a heart-wrenching sight."

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Pronunciation

1. /ˈɒstɹəsaɪz/
   
   
   
   Source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80152652"

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Synonyms

blackball , cut someone dead , give someone the cold shoulder , send to Coventry

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Rhymes

Words rhyming with ostracize
astray , obstacle , obstacle , stray

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Variants

List of all variants of ostracize that leads to same result
ostracize , ostracized , ostracizes , ostracizing , ostracise , ostracised , ostracises , ostracising

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Etymology

origin and the way in which meanings have changed throughout history.

From the Greek word 'ostrakizein', meaning 'to cast a vote upon a pottery sherd' or 'ostrakon'. In ancient Athens, citizens could write the names of those they wished to exclude on sherds and throw them into a pit. The person with the most sherds against them was then expelled.

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Trivia

Any details, considerations, events or pieces of information regarding the word

1. The ancient Greek word 'ostrakon' means 'potsherd'.

2. The practice of ostracism was used in ancient Athens from around 500 BC until the end of the 5th century BC.

3. The word 'ostracize' first appeared in English in the 15th century.

4. The ancient Greeks believed that the gods punished those who were ostracized, and that the person being ostracized was being given a second chance to reform.

5. In modern times, the term 'ostracism' has been used to describe the exclusion of certain groups, such as the Jews during the Holocaust, and the treatment of lepers in medieval Europe.

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Related Concepts

informations on related concepts or terms closely associated with the word. Discuss semantic fields or domains that the word belongs to

1. Social exclusion: The practice of excluding individuals or groups from social interaction and opportunities.

2. Bullying: The use of power or control to intimidate, harm, or humiliate someone.

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Culture

Any cultural, historical, or symbolic significance of the word. Explore how the word has been used in literature, art, music, or other forms of expression.

Ostracism has been a common theme in literature, particularly in works that explore the nature of human relationships and the consequences of social exclusion. In Shakespeare's 'The Winter's Tale', for example, the character Leontes falsely accuses his wife Hermione of infidelity and she is ostracized by the community. In modern times, ostracism has been studied as a form of bullying and social isolation.

How to Memorize "ostracize"

1. visualize
   

   - Imagine a group of people sitting in a circle, each holding a sherd of pottery. Visualize the act of writing a name on the sherd and tossing it into the center.
   - Visualize the person with the most sherds against them being escorted out of the community.

2. associate
   

   - Associate the word 'ostracize' with the image of a group of people sitting in a circle, each holding a sherd of pottery.
   - Associate the word with the feeling of being excluded and rejected.

3. mnemonics
   

   - Use the acronym 'OSTRACIZE' to remember the meaning: 'O' for 'Ostracize', 'S' for 'Social Exclusion', 'T' for 'Tossing sherds', 'R' for 'Rejection', 'A' for 'Act of exclusion', 'C' for 'Community', and 'I' for 'Isolation', and 'Z' for 'Zero in on the person'.

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