lockout

1 of 2

noun

lock·​out ˈläk-ˌau̇t How to pronounce lockout (audio)
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
During the 2021-22 lockout, five Boras clients were on the subcommittee. Evan Drellich, The Athletic, 5 Dec. 2024 The lockout would severely hamper operations at West Coast ports including Vancouver and Prince Rupert, stoking the flame already started by the current indefinite strike at two container terminals at the Port of Montreal. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
Tenants with lawyers are less likely to get locked out of their homes, some studies have shown – though fewer than 5% of renters in eviction cases nationwide have legal help, compared with more than 80% of landlords, the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel estimates. Calmatters, The Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2024 In a 10-week trial last year, Justice Department lawyers said Google had locked out rivals by signing deals with Apple, Mozilla, Samsung and others to automatically appear as the search engine when users open a smartphone or a new tab in a web browser. David McCabe, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for lockout 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1853, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1853, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lockout was in 1853

Dictionary Entries Near lockout

Cite this Entry

“Lockout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lockout. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

lockout

noun
lock·​out -ˌau̇t How to pronounce lockout (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce lockout (audio)
: the withholding of employment by an employer in order to gain concessions from or resist demands of employees

More from Merriam-Webster on lockout

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