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ostracism

 - 4 dictionary results

os⋅tra⋅cism

  [os-truh-siz-uhm]
Use ostracism in a Sentence
–noun
1. exclusion, by general consent, from social acceptance, privileges, friendship, etc.
2. (in ancient Greece) temporary banishment of a citizen, decided upon by popular vote.
Origin:
1570–80; < NL ostracismus < Gk ostrakismós banishment, equiv. to ostrak(ízein) to ostracize + -ismos -ism
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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os·tra·cism   (ŏs'trə-sĭz'əm)   
n.  

    1. The act of banishing or excluding.

    2. Banishment or exclusion from a group; disgrace.

  2. In Athens and other cities of ancient Greece, the temporary banishment by popular vote of a citizen considered dangerous to the state.


[French ostracisme, from Greek ostrakismos, from ostrakizein, to ostracize; see ostracize.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

ostracism 
1588, a method of 10-year banishment in ancient Athens, by which the citizens gathered and wrote the names of men they deemed dangerous to the state on potsherds or tiles, and a man whose name turned up often enough was sent away. From Gk. ostrakismos, from ostrakizein "to ostracize," from ostrakon "tile, potsherd," related to osteon "bone," ostreion "oyster" (and cognate with Ger. Estrich "pavement," from M.L. astracus "pavement," ult. from Gk. ostrakon). A similar practice in ancient Syracuse (with banishment for five years) was by writing names on olive leaves, and thus was called petalismos. Fig. sense of "to exclude from society" is attested from 1649.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

ostracism

political practice in ancient Athens whereby a prominent citizen who threatened the stability of the state could be banished without bringing any charge against him. (A similar device existed at various times in Argos, Miletus, Syracuse, and Megara.) At a fixed meeting in midwinter, the people decided, without debate, whether they would hold a vote on ostracism (ostrakophoria) some weeks later. Any citizen entitled to vote in the assembly could write another citizen's name down, and, when a sufficiently large number wrote the same name, the ostracized man had to leave Attica within 10 days and stay away for 10 years. He remained owner of his property. Ostracism must be carefully distinguished from exile in the Roman sense, which involved loss of property and status and was for an indefinite period (generally for life).

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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