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expel Definition

ex·pel (ek spel′, ik-)

transitive verb -·pelled′, -·pel′·ling

  1. to drive out by force; force out; eject
  2. to dismiss or send away by authority; deprive of rights, membership, etc.

Etymology: ME expellen < L expellere < ex-, out + pellere, to thrust: see pulse

expel Related Forms

ex·pel′·lable adjective ex′·pel·lee′ (eks′pel ē′) noun ex·pel′·ler noun

expel Synonyms

expel

v.

  1. To eject

    get rid of, cast out, dislodge; see eject 1.

  2. To dismiss

    suspend, discharge, oust; see dismiss 1, 2. See syn. study at eject.

expel Usage Examples

Object

  • diplomat: We have been urging other countries to expel Iraqi diplomats in order to minimize this threat.
  • Albanian: Serb forces reportedly expelled all ethnic Albanians from this village, then burned it down.
  • toxin: The leaves, flowers and berries are beneficial in cases of cols and flu, as they expel toxins from the body.
  • worm: The powdered bark can be effective in helping to expel intestinal worms.
  • inspector: The US government maintains that Saddam Hussein expelled the UN inspectors from Iraq in 1998, but this is not true.

Used with why or when

when: But was expelled when his republican views became known.

Preposition: by

force: Olana, a truth-seeker is transformed into a despotic emperor, wreaking havoc until he is finally expelled by forces of nature.

Modifying Another Word

  • forcibly: The catheter was forcibly expelled just prior to her son's birth causing permanent damage to the Claimant's urethra.
  • summarily: After a week in incommunicado detention he was taken to the airport and summarily expelled from the country to Belgium on 15 June.
  • reportedly: Serb forces reportedly expelled all the ethnic Albanian population, then burned the village.
  • systematically: Current Situation Serb forces continue to systematically expel Kosovo Albanians.
  • formally: He and the others were expelled formally on 17 February 1938, 115 and faced the united opposition of the other groups.
  • subsequently: He was subsequently expelled from the SPD in 1922.

Preposition: from

  • membership: Failure to observe the Code of Practice may cause the member to be expelled from membership.
  • union: People arbitrarily excluded or expelled from any union must be given the right of appeal to a court of law.
  • party: First they were expelled from the Bolshevik Party, then driven into exile.
  • school: Diana Who was expelled from school for burning down the science lab?
  • league: The game will go ahead as planned after the Nationwide League dismissed suggestions that Swansea would be expelled from the league.