Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The act of selling out.
  • noun An event for which all the tickets are sold.
  • noun Slang One who has betrayed one's principles or an espoused cause.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An action in which principles are compromised for financial gain.
  • noun A person who compromises their principles for financial gain.
  • noun An event for which all tickets have been purchased.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an act of betrayal

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From sell +‎ out.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word sellout.

Examples

  • But widespread black support remained elusive, Hutchinson said: "Either you loved him, you identified with him, you saw him as one of your own, as a black performer important to the black community, or you saw him as someone who basically, I don't want to use the term sellout, but ... as a creature and a creation of the white world."

    Kentucky.com: Homepage 2009

  • The term "sellout" is used to denigrate black people who go places in society.

    09/02/2004 2004

  • The App store walled garden sellout is just stupid …

    Game on: Google and Apple no longer BFFs | FactoryCity 2009

  • The App store walled garden sellout is just stupid …

    Game on: Google and Apple no longer BFFs | FactoryCity 2009

  • IMAGE UNITED writer Robert Kirkman said, With an overprint this substantial, this immediate sellout is a clear indication the founders and their pantheon of characters are as hot as ever.

    Image United Sells Out | Major Spoilers - Comic Book Reviews and News 2009

  • Any Democratic president who seriously tries to govern will rapidly face accusations of being a corporate sellout from a some on the left, regardless of the facts of the situation.

    Matthew Yglesias » Democratic Presidents’ Base Problem 2010

  • "To have an opportunity to compete for a championship in front of a sellout is something I hope these players remember for their lifetime."

    USATODAY.com - Kansas State wins WNIT crown over Marquette 77-65 2006

  • ` ` To have an opportunity to compete for a championship in front of a sellout is something I hope these players remember for their lifetime. ''

    USATODAY.com 2006

  • The crowd was described as a sellout despite small patches of empty seats and ticket prices that topped out at almost $850.

    NYT > Home Page By RAVI SOMAIYA 2011

  • He offers a rigorous and bracing case study of the quintessential "sellout"--Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, perhaps the most vilified black public official in American history.

    Archive 2008-01-01 Mary L. Dudziak 2008

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.