dropout

1 of 2

noun

drop·​out ˈdräp-ˌau̇t How to pronounce dropout (audio)
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

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
Ken Fisher Fisher, a high school dropout turned college graduate, took $250 to start Fisher Investments. Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024 Officials and lawmakers say a compromise is under discussion in which a few thousand seminary dropouts would be required to serve, but not those still studying. Johnatan Reiss, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024 Over time, both spacecraft have encountered unexpected issues and dropouts, including a seven-month period in 2020 when Voyager 2 couldn’t communicate with Earth. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 It was founded by college dropouts who were helping to invent Instagram virality in 2011 by sharing funny photos and captions—memes—on the nascent social app. Alexandra Sternlicht, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2024 Colorado State, Clemson and Florida Atlantic are the week’s other dropouts. USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2024 Over her journey from high school dropout to Fed president, Daly has encountered all kinds of roadblocks. Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 Directed by Deborah Riley Draper, James Brown: Say It Loud presents an unvarnished look at Brown’s uphill climb from seventh grade dropout, shoeshine boy and buck dancer to soul/funk pioneer, business mogul and civil rights activist. Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 20 Feb. 2024 Ahead of the dropout announcement, Christie was caught on a hot mic apparently criticizing his former opponents during his campaign’s livestream. Samantha-Jo Roth, Washington Examiner, 11 Jan. 2024
Verb
Yet, after launching her campaign amid hundreds of supporters at a private club in Clarkston, before dozens of local Republican leaders, Mary Margaret Patterson, whose married name is Mary Warner, quietly dropped out of the race against the incumbent Democrat, Dave Coulter of Ferndale. Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 19 Apr. 2024 No one person or institution can fix issues of systemic poverty that drive people to drop out of college, Franczyk said. Journal Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2024 As the supply of oil gets reduced and as the fossil fuel gets harder to extract, smaller players drop out, unable to compete with the financial and technological resources of a Big Oil company. Rafael Nam, NPR, 16 Apr. 2024 Scottie Scheffler holds a one-shot lead, while Tiger Woods recorded his worst-ever score at The Masters to drop out of contention. Andrew Torgan, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024 DeSantis dropped out of the presidential race shortly after a distant second place finish to Trump in the Iowa Caucus and well before Florida’s March 19 primary that Trump won handily over former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024 Venue managers say upheaval at the Republican National Committee, after Mr. Trump became the presumptive nominee and began installing an even more loyal team, has meant business partners have dropped out and been replaced by new faces. Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024 The comptroller’s economic report found that 100,000 Maryland women have dropped out of the workforce between 2019 and 2021, peaking among those ages 25 to 34 — a rate twice as high as the national average. Emily Guskin, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024 Bethesda Lutheran Communities in 2022 dropped out of the project. Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dropout.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1930, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1875, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dropout was in 1875

Dictionary Entries Near dropout

Cite this Entry

“Dropout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dropout. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

dropout

1 of 2 noun
drop·​out ˈdräp-ˌau̇t How to pronounce dropout (audio)
: a person who drops out especially from a school or a training program

drop out

2 of 2 verb
: to withdraw from taking part or membership : quit
dropped out of school
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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