Definition
To exclude or banish someone from a group, community, or society, typically as a form of social punishment or rejection. The term carries the weight of deliberate, often coordinated exclusion rather than mere disagreement.
Example Usage
After the scandal, the board voted to ostracize him from the professional association permanently.
Origin
From Greek 'ostrakizein', derived from 'ostrakon' (potsherd), referring to the ancient Athenian practice of writing names on pottery shards to vote for banishment.
Fun Fact
In ancient Athens, ostracism was a formal democratic process used to exile citizens considered threats to the state; citizens would literally vote by scratching names onto broken pottery pieces.
Source: Definition backfill (hailey)
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