boycott
boycott
Definition
boy·cott (bo̵i′kät′)
transitive verb
- to join together in refusing to deal with, so as to punish, coerce, etc.
- to refuse to buy, sell, or use to boycott a newspaper
Etymology: after Capt. C. C. Boycott, land agent ostracized by his neighbors during the Land League agitation in Ireland in 1880
noun
an act or instance of boycotting
boycott
Synonyms
boycott Finance Definition
An
agreement among competitors to not have any dealings with a person, company, or
organization. A boycott can violate the law if it is used to force another
party to pay higher prices or in any way restrict competition. If boycotts are
launched to prevent a company from entering a market, they are illegal. Often
boycotts are used by consumer or social action groups to prompt a company to
change its behavior or policies that are deemed harmful to the group.
boycott
Law Definition
v
- A concerted action by two or more individuals or entities to avoid commercial dealings with a business or to induce others to take the same action. This may include the refusal to work for the business and to purchase or distribute the companys products. While peaceful boycotts are generally legal, boycotts that use coercion or intimidation to prevent others from dealing with the targeted business are not.
- To engage in a boycott. See also picketing and strike.
consumer boycott
A concerted refusal of consumers to purchase the products or
services of a business to indicate displeasure with the manufacturer, seller,
or provider of the product.
group boycott
A concerted refusal of a group of competing businesses to conduct
commercial transactions with a company with whom they would otherwise do
business. Such boycotts are illegal under the Sherman Antitrust Act.
primary boycott
A union-organized boycott of an employer with which the unions
membership have a labor dispute. For example, a union involved in a dispute
over wages with a business may encourage customers not to buy that companys
products.
secondary boycott
A boycott of a
targeted companys customers or suppliers with whom the boycotters have no
direct dispute to compel those customers and suppliers to refrain from doing
business with the targeted company. Such boycotts are illegal under the
Taft-Hartley Act if organized by a union.
boycott
Usage Examples
Object
- circus: RSPCA says: " Boycott the circus " RSPCA Circus FAQ's here.
- referendum: The Catholic bishops had urged voters to boycott the referendum, which needed a 50 % turnout to be valid.
- poll: They were said to be out addressing rallies calling MDC supporters to boycott the senate poll.
- election: They announced that they would boycott the elections for the first duma.
- supermarket: However she asked UK consumers not to boycott the supermarket.
Converse of object
- urge: Last year ethnic minority officers rebelled against the Met, urging a boycott of recruitment campaigns.
- threaten: Fan clubs could attempt to save their members from debt by threatening boycotts for better prices.
- organize: The black community was outraged, and their pastors quickly organized a one-day boycott of the busses in protest.
- organize: I suggest we organize an immediate boycott of all Nestle products.
Adjective modifier
- Arab: However, the magnitude of the Arab boycott of US products is minimized by economists.
- one-day: The black community was outraged, and their pastors quickly organized a one-day boycott of the busses in protest.
- academic: This will certainly add fuel to the arguments for an academic boycott.
Modifies a noun
- campaign: Unions mounted the boycott campaign last month following the decision to close Ryton, with the loss of 2,300 jobs.
Noun used with modifier
- bus: During the Montgomery bus boycott, King was bombarded with death threats.
Preposition: of
- referendum: This urges an active boycott of the referendum on British membership of the euro.
- appraisal: A boycott of staff appraisal This applies to all staff who participate in any form of staff performance appraisal.
Browse dictionary entries near boycott
- boyfriend
- boyhood
- boyish
- boyishly
- boyishness
- Boyle
- Boyle's law
- Boyne
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- boysenberries
