To exclude or banish someone from a group or society as punishment, making them an outcast.
From Greek 'ostrakizein,' derived from 'ostrakon' (pottery shard). In ancient Athens, citizens would vote to exile someone by writing names on pottery shards—a democratic form of banishment.
Ostracism literally comes from ancient Greeks voting people out of the city by writing on broken pottery—it's the original historical root of our modern 'voting someone off the island' concept!
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