dropout

1 of 2

noun

drop·​out ˈdräp-ˌau̇t 

1

a

: one who drops out of school

b

: one who drops out of conventional society

c

: one who abandons an attempt, activity, or chosen path

a corporate dropout

2

: a momentary defect on a magnetic tape or disk caused by a temporary loss of signal

drop out

2 of 2

verb

ˌdräp-ˈau̇t 

dropped out; dropping out; drops out

intransitive verb

: to withdraw from participation or membership : quit

especially : to withdraw from conventional society

Examples of dropout in a Sentence

Noun

The program is designed for dropouts who wish to get high school equivalency certificates.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The story of a college dropout who becomes his terminally ill grandmother’s caretaker prompted a local viral trend of social media users filming themselves crying after seeing it. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 2 Nov. 2024

The state has pledged additional support to school dropouts and single-parent families. —The Week Uk, theweek, 22 Oct. 2024

Verb

This time, Libertarian nominee Eric Joss dropped out in early September and endorsed Evans, a move that was seen by some observers as improving the GOP candidate’s odds in a close race. —Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024

An 185-pound boar dropped out of sight down a hill then came back up again and stopped at about 70 yards. —Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1930, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1875, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

dropout

1 of 2 noun

drop·​out ˈdräp-ˌau̇t 

: a person who drops out especially from a school or a training program

drop out

2 of 2 verb

dräp-ˈau̇t 

: to withdraw from taking part or membership : quit

dropped out of school