lockout

L1O1C3K5O1U1T1

noun

The opposite of a strike; a labor disruption where management refuses to allow workers into a plant to work even if they are willing.

“It's another front-row lockout for Mercedes on the starting grid of the Japanese Grand Prix.”

Less commonScrabble 13

Meanings

nounlockout (plural lockouts)

plural lockouts · alternative lock-out

  1. 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 Brown

    Antonyms: strike, walkout, industrial peace, industrial action, labor action, labour action

  2. The action of installing a lock to keep someone out of an area, such as eviction of a tenant by changing the lock.
  3. 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

  4. 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.
  5. The situation of being locked out of a building.

    a locksmith who is willing to deal with emergency lockouts

  6. computingA situation where the system is not responding to input.
  7. 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

  8. hobbiesThe final portion of a weightlifting motion where all applicable limbs or joints are fully extended or "locked out".
  9. 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
  10. 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.

Opposite

Origin

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
APA

lockout. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lockout

MLA

“lockout.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lockout. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lockout,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lockout.

Source: lockout on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.