lockout

1 of 2

noun

lock·​out ˈläk-ˌau̇t 

: the withholding of employment by an employer and the whole or partial closing of the business establishment in order to gain concessions from or resist demands of employees

lock out

2 of 2

verb

locked out; locking out; locks out

transitive verb

: to subject (a body of employees) to a lockout

Examples of lockout in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Pulling the lockout lever is a form of leverage for the owners. —Maury Brown, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025

Manfred said offseason lockouts should be considered a new norm. —Evan Drellich, The Athletic, 6 Feb. 2025

Verb

With millions of Brazilians living in hard-to-reach areas, consumers in these vibrant communities are often locked out of the digital world, particularly in areas such as e-commerce. —Angelica Mari, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

On opening day of Sox camp this year, the media was inadvertently locked out of the Camelback Ranch press box, but only because someone forgot to open it. —Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1853, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1853, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lockout

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

lockout

noun

lock·​out -ˌau̇t 

: the stopping of work or closing of a plant by an employer during a labor dispute in order to make the employees come to terms

Legal Definition

lockout

noun

lock·​out ˈläk-ˌau̇t 

: the withholding of employment by an employer in order to gain concessions from or resist demands of employees