drop·out
ˈdräp-ˌau̇t 
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
dropped out; dropping out; drops out
: 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
Andrew Greif, NBC News, 3 Aug. 2024
The 2024 election is already historic for a number of reasons, from an assassination attempt to a last-minute dropout, with the country’s first Black woman candidate slated to secure the Democratic nomination.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vox, 25 July 2024
Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, The Courier-Journal, 6 Aug. 2024
President Biden made multiple stops in the commonwealth before dropping out of the race, and set up his campaign headquarters in nearby Wilmington, Delaware.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dropout 
Noun
Fraser-Pryce, long the standard-bearer for the event after winning Olympic gold in 2008 and 2012, bronze in 2016 and silver in 2021, did not start the race, a dropout that was not revealed publicly until her competitors stepped up to their starting blocks.
—Andrew Greif, NBC News, 3 Aug. 2024
The 2024 election is already historic for a number of reasons, from an assassination attempt to a last-minute dropout, with the country’s first Black woman candidate slated to secure the Democratic nomination.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vox, 25 July 2024
Verb
President Joe Biden dropped out of the race on July 21 amid rising concerns about his age and endorsed Harris as his successor.
—Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, The Courier-Journal, 6 Aug. 2024
President Biden made multiple stops in the commonwealth before dropping out of the race, and set up his campaign headquarters in nearby Wilmington, Delaware.
—Laura Fay, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dropout
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.
Dictionary Entries Near dropout
Cite this Entry
“Dropout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dropout. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dropout
1 of 2 noun
drop·out
ˈdräp-ˌau̇t
: 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
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