Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Ostracism is the act of excluding or ignoring an individual or group by a larger social group. It's a form of social punishment where the ostracized individuals are socially isolated.
Related terms
Social Exclusion: This is when an individual is deliberately excluded from a specific social group. It's similar to ostracism but can be more targeted towards one person rather than a group.
Alienation: This refers to feeling isolated and separated from everyone else. It can be the result of being ostracized but also occurs in other situations such as feeling disconnected from society due to personal beliefs or experiences.
This term refers to the disapproval of, or discrimination against, a person based on perceivable social characteristics that serve to distinguish them from other members of society. Like ostracism, stigmatization often leads to exclusion and rejection by others.