ostracism means in ancient Athens (and some other cities), the temporary banishment by popular vote of a citizen considered dangerous to the state. It carries an Arena rating of 1643, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, ostracism ranks #2,317 of 14,444 for Most Exacting Words, #2,328 of 14,438 for Most Storied Words, #2,350 of 14,448 for Most Incisive Words, #5,858 of 14,361 for Most Ingenious Words.
ostracism is pronounced /ˈɒstɹəsɪz(ə)m/.
Why “ostracism” is a great word
Ostracism is the formal or informal exclusion of a person from a group or society, originally by popular vote in ancient Athens. From Ancient Greek ὀστρακισμός (ostrakismós, "banishment by voting with pot shards"), from ὀστρακίζω (ostrakízō, "to ostracize") + -ισμός (-ismós, "-ism"), from ὄστρακον (óstrakon, "clay pot, shell"). Unlike exile, a formal decree from authority, or shunning, a deliberate, silent refusal within a community, ostracism is the cold machinery of popular sentiment made manifest. It is the weight of a thousand shards clattering into the urn, the empty space at the symposium, the calculated silence that follows a spoken word—the peculiar cruelty of being erased not by a tyrant’s decree, but by the silence of neighbors who once broke bread beside you.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ὀστρακισμός (ostrakismós, “banishment by means of voting with pot shards”), from ὀστρακίζω (ostrakízō, “ostracize”) + -ισμός (-ismós, “-ism”), from ὄστρακον (óstrakon, “clay pot”).
noun
- In ancient Athens (and some other cities), the temporary banishment by popular vote of a citizen considered dangerous to the state.“For this manner of banishment for a time, called ostracismos, was no punishment for any fault committed, but a mitigation and taking away of the envy of the people, which delighted to pluck down their stomacks that too much seemed to exceed in greatness: […]”
- Banishment by some general consent.“If I have deserved the land should spue me out, I will feed my selfe with the idle and windy conceite of an Ostracisme, and my unregarded poore selfe shall be all the richesse and commpany I crave to transport and if a Princes word […]”
- Temporary exclusion from a community or society.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- ostracize 91% match — To ban a person from a city for five or ten years through the procedure of ostracism. vs ostracism →
- petalism 84% match — A form of ostracism among the ancient Syracusans by which they temporarily banished a citizen suspected of having dangerous influence or ambition. vs ostracism →
- atimy 83% match — public disgrace or stigma; outlawry; loss of civil rights vs ostracism →
- excommunication 82% match — The act of excommunicating, disfellowshipping or ejecting; especially an ecclesiastical censure whereby the person against whom it is pronounced is, for the time, cast out of the communication of the church; exclusion from fellowship in things spiritual. vs ostracism →
- excommunicate 82% match — To officially exclude someone from membership of a church or religious community. vs ostracism →
- archon 82% match — A chief magistrate of ancient Athens. vs ostracism →
- outlawry 81% match — A declaration that an individual cannot benefit from the protection of law in a jurisdiction. vs ostracism →
- theatrocracy 81% match — Government by an assembly of citizens in Ancient Greece. vs ostracism →