1
: a pointed or sharpened stake, post, or pale
2
a
: a detached body of soldiers serving to guard an army from surprise
b
: a detachment kept ready in camp for such duty
c
: sentry
3
a
: a person posted by a labor organization at a place of work affected by a strike
… dispossessed theatergoers shared the sidewalks with grim pickets yesterday as the stagehands' strike shut down most of Broadway's plays and musicals.—
Robert D. McFadden
Robert D. McFadden
also
: a person posted for a demonstration or protest
In front of the White House pickets are marching … —Lady Bird Johnson
Lady Bird Johnson
b
: a protest or strike involving pickets
In such situations, the union often pickets the plant as well, but it is strictly an informational picket publicizing the nature of the controversy …—Matthew A. Kelly
Matthew A. Kelly
picketed; picketing; pickets
1
: to enclose, fence, or fortify with pickets
2
a
: to guard with a picket
b
: to post as a picket
3
: tether
4
a
: to post pickets at
b
: to walk or stand in front of as a picket
: to serve as a picket
picketer
noun
Examples of picket in a Sentence
Noun
a house surrounded by a white picket fence
Pickets marched in front of the company headquarters.
The strikers held picket signs painted with angry slogans.
The students were barred from holding a picket outside the company's headquarters.
Verb
Workers picketed outside the grocery store.
The union is picketing the factory.
Recent Examples on the Web
Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Where will Starbucks Workers United hold rallies and pickets?
—Mike Snider, Louisville Courier Journal, 27 Oct. 2025
Boston Herald Staff, Boston Herald, 22 Oct. 2025
Anesthetists, midwives and other health care workers picketed outside Kaiser Permanente’s hospital in Roseville, Tuesday morning, joining a smattering of union chapters in California, Oregon and Hawaii in a five-day strike.
—Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for picket
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Baristas at Starbucks cafes across the country are holding pickets this week as part of a collective push for a union contract, and Phoenix workers are joining in.
—Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Where will Starbucks Workers United hold rallies and pickets?
—Mike Snider, Louisville Courier Journal, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
Kearney, 43, faces multiple charges of witness intimidation and picketing jurors or court officers related to his activism in the Karen Read case.
—Boston Herald Staff, Boston Herald, 22 Oct. 2025
Anesthetists, midwives and other health care workers picketed outside Kaiser Permanente’s hospital in Roseville, Tuesday morning, joining a smattering of union chapters in California, Oregon and Hawaii in a five-day strike.
—Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for picket
Cite this Entry
“Picket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/picket. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
picket
1 of 2 noun
pick·et
ˈpik-ət 
1
: a pointed stake or post (as for a fence)
2
: a soldier or a group of soldiers assigned to stand guard
3
: a person (as a striking worker or a demonstrator) on a picket line
picket
2 of 2 verb1
: to enclose, fence, or strengthen with pickets
2
a
: to guard with a picket
b
: to station as a picket
3
: tether entry 2
picket a horse
4
a
: to station pickets or act as a picket at
picket a factory
b
: to serve as a picket
picketer
noun
Legal Definition
picket
1 of 2 noun
pick·et
: a person posted by a labor organization at a place of employment affected by a labor dispute
broadly
: a person posted for a demonstration or protest
picket
2 of 2 transitive verb
: to post pickets in front of : walk or stand in front of as a picket
their tactics have included picketing clinics—L. H. Tribe
L. H. Tribe
: to demonstrate by use of pickets
a currently certified union may picket for recognition
also
: to serve as a picket see also informational picketing, organizational picketing, secondary picketing compare strike
Note: While the right to peacefully picket for a lawful purpose is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, case law has recognized some limitations and the Labor Management Relations Act has placed some restrictions on organizational and secondary picketing.
picketer
noun
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