Meaning & use
expulsion
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
The official act of forcing a person to leave a school, club, organization, or country.
Grammar: Use the uncountable for the general punishment and a/a for one case: Expulsion is rare; an expulsion shocked parents.
Patterns
- expulsion from somewhere
- face expulsion
- order someone's expulsion
The student faced expulsion after repeated cheating.
Her expulsion from the club followed a violent incident.
noununcountablemedicaltechnical
The forcing out of a substance, air, or contents from a body or container.
Grammar: A technical, formal use; often in phrases with of: expulsion of air, expulsion of waste.
Patterns
- expulsion of air
- expulsion of waste
- forceful expulsion
Coughing helps the expulsion of mucus from the lungs.
The valve controls the sudden expulsion of steam.
Word forms
| plural | expulsions |
|---|
Common combinations
- face expulsion
- He faced expulsion if he missed one more hearing.
- expulsion from school
- Expulsion from school is usually a last resort.
- threat of expulsion
- The threat of expulsion made the members take the rules seriously.
- order someone's expulsion
- The committee voted to order his expulsion after the investigation.
- automatic expulsion
- Carrying a weapon led to automatic expulsion under the policy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dismissal
- Dismissal often means being sent away from a job or position; expulsion is stronger and can mean removal from school or country.
- removal
- Removal is neutral and general; expulsion implies force, rules, and official authority.
- eviction
- Eviction specifically means forced removal from housing, while expulsion can involve institutions or a country.
- deportation
- Deportation is expulsion from a country by legal authority; it does not fit school contexts.
Opposites
Word family
- expel verb
- To force someone or something out.
- expulsive adjective
- Causing or relating to forcing something out; mainly technical.
Commonly confused: expulsion or suspension? expulsion or explosion?
expulsion vs suspension
Suspension is usually temporary removal; expulsion is permanent or final removal.
expulsion vs explosion
Explosion is a sudden burst with force; expulsion is the act of forcing out, often under rules.
Practice
A student is removed permanently from a school. Which word fits best?
Choose one answer.
Permanent removal from a school is expulsion. Suspension is temporary, and vacation or promotion do not describe punishment or removal.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “expulsion”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.