ban
BAN
/bæn/
To officially prohibit or forbid something, or an official decree of prohibition.
Expresses an absolute legal or administrative prohibition, often sweeping and direct.
The story behind the word. The word traces back to Proto-Germanic '*bannan', meaning to proclaim an official decree. In medieval feudalism, a 'ban' was a lord's official proclamation—often outlawing an individual or declaring a legal prohibition—giving rise to our modern concept of an official ban.
Word relationships
- prohibit: Prohibit is a slightly more formal, legal term, while ban is direct and frequently used in public news.
- outlaw: Outlaw specifically means making an activity illegal by statute.
- permit: Permit means allowing an activity officially.
- authorize: Authorize gives formal legal or institutional approval.
Commonly confused with
- bar: Bar usually means blocking access physically or legally to a place or role, whereas ban forbids an entire practice or publication.
Word family
- banned (adjective): Forbidden by law or decree.
- banning (noun): The act of imposing a prohibition.
Collocations
- lift a ban
- impose a ban
- total ban
- blanket ban
Idioms & expressions
- under a cloud of banishment
Example sentences
- "If you ban a book, you simply guarantee that thousands of people who would never have opened it will now read it." Literary commentary
- "The city council voted to ban political banners from the public park during festival week." Public policy
Memory hook
BAN sounds like BANG—the heavy sound of a judge's gavel outlawing an action. A loud gavel strike that stops action.
When not to use
Do not use to describe mild discouragement or informal advice.
Fun facts
- The phrase 'banned in Boston' became a popular marketing slogan in the early 20th century because Boston censors regularly banned books, boosting sales nationwide.
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