To defenestrate means to throw someone or something out of a window. This dramatic action often signifies a sudden, forceful removal from power, position, or favor. The term carries connotations of abruptness, violence (literal or figurative), and a decisive ending. It's a vivid, historically rooted word often used in political, social, or metaphorical contexts to describe a decisive removal or rejection. While the literal act of throwing someone out a window is possible, the word is more frequently used figuratively to describe a forceful dismissal, demotion, or the ending of a relationship. The origin comes from Latin, where 'de' means 'out of', and 'fenestra' means 'window'. The act can vary from being extremely destructive to simply being a symbolic expulsion.
Defenestrate meaning with examples
- The CEO, facing a scandal and a boardroom revolt, was defenestrated from his position when the board voted to remove him. His removal was swift and decisive, signaling a complete overhaul of company leadership and strategy. The shareholders felt his leadership lacked the strength to improve the market position and the board decided he had to go. The defenestration became a symbol of his failed attempts to salvage his control.
- After years of supporting the unpopular leader, the party members, sensing a shift in public sentiment, decided to defenestrate him at the next convention. They organized a coup in the party and voted to eliminate him. This strategic maneuver marked a decisive shift in the party's political landscape and a desperate attempt to regain public favor. The defenestration was a necessary, if harsh, measure, meant to save the party.
- The company's innovative but controversial new product was defenestrated by a wave of consumer backlash. The backlash over this product became too large, after online review sites showed significant dissatisfaction. This sudden withdrawal ended the project's development and, ultimately, caused major damage to the company's reputation and share value. The product's defenestration was a harsh, but required move.
- Her novel, after receiving scathing reviews, was figuratively defenestrated by the literary critics. The reviews were brutal, and she could no longer publish or seek opportunities to expand her work. She had no opportunity to defend her work in light of the criticism and it had ended her career. Its abrupt failure represented her own expulsion from the literary scene, and it ended her career.