Meanings
plural lockouts · alternative lock-out
- labourThe opposite of a strike; a labor disruption where management refuses to allow workers into a plant to work even if they are willing.
1 more example
The first was in the Babylonian halls of the big hotel, which was the meeting place of the three commercial magnates concerned with arranging for a coal lock-out and denouncing it as a coal strike, the second was in a curious tavern, having the façade of a grocery store, where met the more subterranean triumvirate of those who would have been very glad to turn the lock-out into a strike—and the strike into a revolution.
1926, Gilbert Keith Chesterton, “The Ghost of Gideon Wise”, in The Incredulity of Father BrownAntonyms: strike, walkout, industrial peace, industrial action, labor action, labour action
- The action of installing a lock to keep someone out of an area, such as eviction of a tenant by changing the lock.
- broadlyThe exclusion of certain people from a place, event, situation, etc.
It's another front-row lockout for Mercedes on the starting grid of the Japanese Grand Prix.
Antonyms: lock-in
- The restriction of a population to a certain area, but allowing free movement within that region, in order to prevent the spread of disease. Compare lockdown.
- The situation of being locked out of a building.
a locksmith who is willing to deal with emergency lockouts
- computingA situation where the system is not responding to input.
- industrial operationsA safety device designed to prevent touching a moving part when it is under operation; a safety device to keep the power supply turned off during repairs; the standardized practice and method whereby such devices are deployed.
lockout–tagout
- hobbiesThe final portion of a weightlifting motion where all applicable limbs or joints are fully extended or "locked out".
- hobbiesAn exercise meant to increase strength in the lockout portion of a lifting motion.
Tip: For Bigger Triceps, Do Heavy Lockouts
2016, Christian Thibaudeau, “Tip: For Bigger Triceps, Do Heavy Lockouts”, in T-Nation - governmentA form of vote splitting in a two-round voting system which a large number of candidates with similar politics prevent each other from advancing to the second round, allowing a pair of opposition candidates to face each other in the runoff.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe opposite of a strike; a labor disruption where management refuses to allow workers into a plant to work even if they are willing.
nounThe exclusion of certain people from a place, event, situation, etc.
Origin
Deverbal from lock out.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian локаут
- локаут (lokaut)opposite of a strike
Catalan tancament patronal
- tancament patronalopposite of a strike
Chinese Mandarin 停工, 閉廠 /闭厂
- 停工 (tínggōng)opposite of a strike
- 閉廠 /闭厂 (bìchǎng)opposite of a strike
Czech výluka
- výlukaopposite of a strike
Danish lockout
- lockoutopposite of a strike
Finnish työsulku
- työsulkuopposite of a strike
French lock-out, lockout
- lock-outopposite of a strike
- lockoutopposite of a strike
- grève patronaleopposite of a strike
German Aussperrung, Lockout
- Aussperrungopposite of a strike
- Lockoutopposite of a strike
Italian serrata, esclusione
- serrataopposite of a strike
- esclusioneopposite of a strike
Japanese ロックアウト
- ロックアウト (rokkuauto)opposite of a strike
Korean 직장폐쇄
- 직장폐쇄 (jikjangpyeswae)opposite of a strike
Polish lokaut
- lokautopposite of a strike
Portuguese locaute
- locauteopposite of a strike
Russian лока́ут
- лока́ут (lokáut)opposite of a strike
Spanish cierre patronal
- cierre patronalopposite of a strike
Swedish lockout
- lockoutopposite of a strike
Turkish lokavt
- lokavtopposite of a strike
Ukrainian лока́ут
- лока́ут (lokáut)opposite of a strike
Cite this entry
lockout. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lockout
“lockout.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lockout. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lockout,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lockout.
Source: lockout on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.