Ousting

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈaʊstɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The act of forcibly or officially removing someone from a position of power or authority
2. A process through which a person is expelled or displaced from an important role or office
3. The event of causing someone to lose their job, position, or control by force or formal action

Etymology: "Ousting" is the present participle and gerund of "oust," and its story starts with a surprise: the verb has nothing to do with "out." It comes from Anglo-Norman "ouster" and "oustier," which descend from Old French "oster," modern French "ôter," meaning "to remove." Behind that lies post-classical Latin "obstare," "to remove," and classical Latin "obstāre," "to obstruct, stand in the way of." So the Latin sense was one of blocking, not of ejecting. The sense shift runs from standing in someone's path to pushing them out of their place. The Latin verb was built from "ob-," "against," and "stare," "to stand," so it literally meant standing against something. Over the centuries that opposition hardened into removal, and the English verb took on the sense of driving someone out of a position or possession.

Synonyms: removal, expulsion, overthrow

Antonyms: installation, appointment, retention