Proscriptees

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who have been officially expelled or excluded from a group or society; those who are subjected to punishment or ostracism, often enacted by authorities; people who have been marked for rejection or persecution, especially in a political context
2. Persons who have faced formal rejection or banishment from a community or organization; individuals targeted for penalties or social exclusion, typically by governing bodies; individuals designated as outlaws or enemies, facing hostility or punitive actions
3. Members of a community or organization who have been declared undesirable and forcibly removed; individuals suffering penalties or social isolation, often imposed by powers in control; people identified as threats or adversaries, often facing severe repercussions

Etymology: "Proscriptees" is the plural of "proscriptee," a person placed under a proscription. The root is Latin "proscribere," from "pro-," meaning "publicly" or "in advance," and "scribere," "to write," so the original act was literally posting something in writing. The most famous case is Roman. Under Sulla, lists of enemies were displayed in the Forum, and anyone could kill a listed man for a reward, while his property was seized. English "proscription" kept this sense of outlawry and expulsion, and the "-ee" ending marks the person on the receiving end of the act, as in "employee" or "trainee."

Synonyms: exiles, outlaws