ostracize

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "ostracize" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to the act of excluding someone from a group or society. Example: "After the scandal, many of his former friends chose to ostracize him, leaving him feeling isolated and alone."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

57 human-written examples

In it, a prostitute traveling by coach is companionably treated by her fellow French passengers, who are anxious to share her provisions of food, but then a German officer stops the coach and refuses to let it proceed until he has possessed her; the other passengers induce her to satisfy him, and then ostracize her for the rest of the journey.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Western states condition aid on democratization, strongly condemn and ostracize (some) nondemocratic regimes, and sometimes ostensibly intervene coercively with a view to establishing multiparty constitutions in certain states.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The Wormwoods dote on Michael, who is as beastly as they are, but they ostracize Matilda from the family circle, because she reads books; reading is an internal activity, and what's the point in that when there's a big, wide world out there to defile?

The New Yorker

There is justification for this reluctance to utter unpopular opinions: the cost of utterance is too heavy; it can ruin a man in his business, it can lose him his friends, it can subject him to public insult and abuse, it can ostracize his unoffending family, and make his house a despised and unvisited solitude.

The New Yorker

(The language lesson and some of Patrick's words — "ostracize," "peripatetic," "defunct" — are memorialized in the 2003 "Eurydice," a retelling of the Orpheus myth from his inamorata's point of view, in which the dead Father, reunited with his daughter, tries to re-teach her lost vocabulary).

The New Yorker

One line of objection to the White House's effort to ostracize Fox News is that Presidential wars against the press are always futile and self-defeating.

The New Yorker

They also allow her to police the movement and ostracize defectors.

The New Yorker

Beijing's thirst for oil is likely to slacken this year, leaving it some room to purchase less from Iran without openly endorsing efforts to ostracize Tehran.

The New York Times

The forgiveness step, which has been in the works for many months, would help clear the way for Russia to make new investments in North Korea — a development that runs counter to American-led efforts to economically ostracize the North over its expanding arsenal of nuclear weapons.

The New York Times

One adulterous couple, knowing their congregation will ostracize them if they go public with their liaison, reach an impasse when it comes to finding a new church.

The New York Times - Books

New York City should help and protect the vulnerable people in its midst, not use its police force to ostracize and punish them.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "ostracize" when you want to emphasize the act of deliberately excluding someone from a community or social group due to disapproval or disagreement.

Common error

Avoid using "ostracize" when you mean to criticize someone's actions or opinions. "Ostracize" implies complete exclusion, while "criticize" involves expressing disapproval without necessarily severing ties.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "ostracize" is as a transitive verb. It describes the action of excluding someone from a society or group. Ludwig examples show it used when describing the intentional act of shunning individuals or entities.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Encyclopedias

15%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Science

5%

Academia

5%

Wiki

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "ostracize" is a frequently used transitive verb that describes the act of excluding someone from a society or group. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness. It commonly appears in news and media contexts, as well as in encyclopedias, and carries a neutral register. When writing, remember to use "ostracize" to indicate intentional exclusion and not simply criticism. If you need alternatives, consider "exclude", "shun", or "banish" for similar meanings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

shun

Implies deliberately avoiding someone, often due to disapproval.

exclude

A more general term for preventing someone from participating or being included.

cast out

Emphasizes the act of forcefully removing someone from a community.

banish

Suggests formal expulsion from a place or group.

socially isolate

Highlights the act of causing someone to be separated from social contact.

reject

Denotes a refusal to accept or associate with someone.

cut off

Suggests severing ties or communication with someone.

blacklist

To put someone's name on a list of people who should be avoided or not employed.

marginalize

To treat someone as insignificant or peripheral.

give someone the cold shoulder

An idiomatic expression meaning to ignore or treat someone in an unfriendly way.

FAQs

How to use "ostracize" in a sentence?

You can use "ostracize" to describe the act of excluding someone from a group or society. For example, "The community chose to "ostracize" the family after the scandal".

What can I say instead of "ostracize"?

You can use alternatives like "exclude", "shun", or "banish" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "ostracize" or "ostracise"?

"Ostracize" and "ostracise" are both correct, but "ostracize" is the more common spelling in American English, while "ostracise" is more common in British English.

What's the difference between "ostracize" and "isolate"?

"Ostracize" implies a deliberate act of exclusion by a group, while "isolate" can refer to both deliberate exclusion and being alone due to circumstances.