Ostracize
/ˈɒs.trə.saɪz/noun
To exclude someone from a group or society.
Did you know?In ancient Athens, citizens could literally write a dangerous man’s name on an ostrakon—a potsherd—turning a broken piece of clay into a tool of political exile.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Gk
ostrákon
“pottery shard; shell”
Classical Greek
Gk
ostrakízein
“to vote by potsherd, vote into exile”
5th Century BCE
Gk
ostrakismós
“exile by vote of the people at Athens”
Late Latin
Latin
ostracizare
“to ostracize; exclude”
17th Century
English
ostracize
“to banish by popular vote; to exclude socially”
Modern English
English
ostracize
“to exclude from a group or society”