1. Someone who quits school before graduation
   "The high school implemented a program to reduce the number of dropouts"
    
2. Someone who withdraws from a social group or environment
   "He became a dropout from mainstream society and lived off the grid"
    
3. An instance of missing or discarded data or signal
   "The sensor malfunction caused dropouts in the temperature readings"

1. Stop trying or participating; admit defeat
   "In the second round, the challenger dropped out";
   - give up, fall by the wayside, drop by the wayside, throw in, throw in the towel [informal], quit, chuck up the sponge [US, non-standard]
    
2. Withdraw from established society, especially because of disillusion with conventional values
   "She hasn't heard from her brother in years — he dropped out after moving to California"
    
3. Leave school or an educational program prematurely
   "Many students drop out because they are not prepared for our challenging program"

Derived forms: drops out, dropping out, dropped out, dropouts

Type of: break, break off, cease, depart, discontinue, give up, individualist, lay off, leave, pull up stakes, quit, quitter, retire, stop, surcease [archaic], withdraw

Encyclopedia: Dropout