# petalism

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpɛtəlɪz(ə)m/

## Definitions
1. A form of ostracism among the ancient Syracusans by which they temporarily banished a citizen suspected of having dangerous influence or ambition.

## Etymology
From Middle French petalisme, and its source, Hellenistic Ancient Greek πεταλισμός (petalismós), from πέταλον (pétalon, “leaf”) (because the ballot for banishment was written on olive leaves). By surface analysis, petal + -ism.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/petalism