English Lexicon

Boycott

/ˈbɔɪ.kɒt/
verbnounCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #3400 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A punitive measure whereby individuals or groups refuse to engage with a person, organization, or country to express disapproval or to force change.

    "The activists organized a boycott of the company's products to protest against its labor practices."
As verb
  1. 1

    To refuse to buy, use, or participate in something as a form of protest.

    "Many consumers decided to boycott the brand after the controversy."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the name of Captain Charles Boycott, an English land agent in Ireland who was ostracized by his local community in 1880 during a land agitation organized by the Irish Land League. The practice of social and economic isolation quickly caught on and entered the English language as both a noun and a verb.

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