ostracism
2 synonyms and 1 antonym for ostracism, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — In ancient Athens, and in some other cities, the practice of temporarily banishing, by a vote of the people, a citizen regarded as a threat to the state.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
In ancient Athens, and in some other cities, the practice of temporarily banishing, by a vote of the people, a citizen regarded as a threat to the state.
Etymology
A learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ὀστρακισμός (ostrakismós), meaning "banishment by means of voting with pot shards". This is formed from ὀστρακίζω (ostrakízō), meaning "ostracize", and -ισμός (-ismós, "-ism"), and traces back to ὄστρακον (óstrakon), meaning "clay pot".
Full origin of ostracism →