expel
B2Formal, Official, Medical, Scientific
Definition
Meaning
To force someone to leave a place, organization, or institution, often as an official punishment.
To force something (like air or gas) out from a container or the body. Also used metaphorically to describe rejecting or removing something undesirable.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies a forceful, authoritative, and often permanent removal. Often carries a sense of punishment, discipline, or a necessary ejection.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. The term is used identically in both formal contexts (schools, governments, medical descriptions).
Connotations
Universally carries serious, negative connotations of punishment or forceful ejection in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally frequent in formal and news contexts in both the UK and US.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[sb] expels [sb] from [an organization/place][sb/sth] expels [sth] (e.g., air, toxins)be expelled for [doing sth]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to 'expel' as a standalone verb.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Formal term for removing a member from an association or board. 'The board voted to expel the director for misconduct.'
Academic
Common in disciplinary contexts and biological/chemical processes. 'The college can expel students for plagiarism.' / 'The lungs expel carbon dioxide.'
Everyday
Primarily used in serious contexts like school discipline or news about deportations. 'He was expelled for fighting.'
Technical
Used in medicine (expelling breath, foreign bodies), physics (expelling gases), and law (expelling an ambassador).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The headmaster decided to expel the pupil for bullying.
- The engine expels harmful fumes.
- Parliament can expel a member for serious breaches of rules.
American English
- The school board voted to expel the student for vandalism.
- The volcano expelled a huge cloud of ash.
- They moved to expel the senator from the committee.
adverb
British English
- Not commonly used as a standalone adverb.
American English
- Not commonly used as a standalone adverb.
adjective
British English
- The expelled student appealed the decision.
- Expelled air condenses in the cold.
American English
- An expelled member cannot rejoin.
- The expelled gas was analyzed.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The teacher will expel you from class if you are noisy.
- He was expelled from the football team.
- The school has the right to expel students for serious offences.
- The pump expels water from the basement.
- The government moved to expel the foreign diplomats accused of espionage.
- Certain plants expel toxins through their leaves.
- The medieval treatise advised how to expel evil humours from the body.
- The assembly voted overwhelmingly to expel the rogue state from the trade alliance.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'EX-PEL': EXit by being PELled out forcefully.
Conceptual Metaphor
REMOVAL IS FORCEFUL EJECTION (like a cannon firing a projectile). SOCIETY/ORGANIZATION IS A BODY expelling harmful elements.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'высылать' which is closer to 'deport' for people or 'send' for objects. 'Expel' (выгонять, исключать) implies the person/thing was *inside* the system and is being forced out from within.
- Not a direct equivalent of 'изгонять' in all mystical/historical contexts; 'expel' is more modern and institutional.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'expel' for temporary suspension (it's usually permanent).
- Using 'expel' with 'to' incorrectly (e.g., 'They expelled him to another school' is wrong; use 'from').
- Confusing 'expel' (force out) with 'repel' (drive back or cause disgust).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'expel' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. 'Suspend' is usually temporary. 'Expel' is typically permanent removal from an institution.
Yes. It can be used for expelling air, smoke, toxins, or anything forcibly pushed out (e.g., 'The machine expels waste products').
The main noun is 'expulsion'. (e.g., 'His actions led to his expulsion from the club.')
The preposition 'from'. (e.g., 'He was expelled from school for fighting.')