blackball
C2Formal / Institutional
Definition
Meaning
To reject or vote against someone's membership in a club or organisation.
To exclude, ostracize, or socially reject someone; also refers to a black ball used in historical secret voting to indicate a negative vote.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Institutional origin in voting procedures, now used metaphorically for social or professional exclusion. Often implies a formal, decisive rejection based on group consensus.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both use the term with same core meaning. Historically more common in British club culture, but understood and used in US contexts (e.g., exclusive clubs, fraternities).
Connotations
UK: Strong association with traditional gentleman's clubs, secret societies. US: Also used in fraternities/sororities, unions, professional associations.
Frequency
Low frequency in both, but slightly more likely encountered in UK due to historical club culture.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject: group/member] blackball [Object: candidate/applicant] (from [organisation])To be/get blackballedVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Blackball someone out of something”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Informal: "He was blackballed from the partnership after the scandal."
Academic
Used in sociology/political science discussing exclusion mechanisms in groups.
Everyday
Rare; used metaphorically: "They effectively blackballed her from the social circle."
Technical
Historical reference to voting balls in parliamentary/procedural contexts.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The committee decided to blackball his application to the London club.
- He was blackballed from the Oxford society for his controversial views.
American English
- The fraternity can blackball any prospective member with a two-thirds vote.
- She fears being blackballed from the bar association.
adjective
British English
- The blackball vote was decisive and final.
- He received a blackball response from the board.
American English
- The blackball procedure is outlined in the bylaws.
- It was a classic blackball situation.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The club can blackball new members.
- He was blackballed and could not join.
- The senior members threatened to blackball his candidacy if he didn't align with the club's traditions.
- After the incident, he was effectively blackballed from all the major professional associations in the city.
- The archaic practice of blackballing prospective members persists in some of the most exclusive gentleman's clubs.
- Despite his qualifications, he was blackballed by the committee due to a personal vendetta held by one influential member.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a CLUB voting with black and white balls. A BLACK BALL means "no" – to BLACKBALL someone is to vote 'no' to their membership.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOCIAL EXCLUSION IS A NEGATIVE VOTE / MEMBERSHIP IS A BALLOT.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводить буквально как "чёрный мяч/шар".
- Не путать с "бойкотировать" (boycott) – blackball обычно относится к формальному отказу в членстве, а не к отказу взаимодействовать вообще.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'blackball' for simple disagreement (it requires a membership/group context).
- Confusing with 'blacklist' (which is broader, not necessarily about membership).
Practice
Quiz
What is the most specific meaning of 'to blackball' someone?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it's often used metaphorically for any instance of formal exclusion or rejection by a group, e.g., from a professional body, social circle, or project team.
It originates from a historical voting system where members of a club or society would cast a white ball (for yes) or a black ball (for no) into a box to vote on a candidate's membership.
They are similar but distinct. 'Blackballed' specifically refers to rejection from membership in a particular group. 'Blacklisted' is broader, meaning being placed on a list of people to be avoided or punished, often across multiple organisations or contexts.
Not inherently offensive, but it carries strong negative connotations for the person being rejected. Its use is generally formal and specific to contexts of exclusion.