a group's refusal to have commercial dealings with some organization in protest against its policies
"The local community organized a boycott of the supermarket chain to protest their decision not to hire union workers."
The act of boycotting.
"The community organized a boycott to protest the unfair treatment of workers at the factory."
refuse to sponsor; refuse to do business with
"The local community decided to boycott any company that refused to raise wages fairly."
To abstain, either as an individual or a group, from using, buying, or dealing with someone or some organization as an expression of protest.
"The community decided to boycott the store until it agreed to hire fair wages for its workers."
In plain English: To boycott means to refuse to buy from, use, or support someone as a way of punishing them for something they did wrong.
"The community decided to boycott the new store until they treated their customers fairly."
Usage: Boycotts are typically organized by groups rather than individuals acting alone. The term is often confused with "ban," but while a ban is imposed by authority, a boycott is a voluntary refusal to participate in protest.
A hamlet in Stowe parish, Buckinghamshire, England (OS grid ref SP6636).
"The village of Boycott is located just outside Stow-on-the-Wold in the county of Gloucestershire."
The word "boycott" comes from Charles Boycott, an English land agent in Ireland who became the target of a social ostracism campaign in 1880 organized by the Irish Land League. His name was adopted into English to describe the act of refusing to deal with someone as a form of protest.