banish
BAN-ish
/ˈbæn.ɪʃ/
To send someone away from a country or place as an official punishment.
Carries a strong legal, royal, or authoritative connotation, involving physical removal from a specific territory.
The story behind the word. Banish comes from the Old French word 'banir', which traces back to a Germanic root meaning to proclaim or outlaw. Historically, to banish someone was to officially declare them outside the protection of the law, making them an outcast whom anyone could harm without legal consequence.
Word relationships
- expel: Expel is more general and can apply to schools or organizations, while banish historically applies to territories and realms.
- exile: Exile often implies being sent to a specific foreign land, while banish simply means being forced to leave one's home territory.
- admit: To admit is to allow entry, whereas banish is to force departure.
- repatriate: To repatriate is to return someone to their home country, the exact opposite of banishing them.
Commonly confused with
- expatriate: Expatriate is to voluntarily live abroad, whereas banish is a forced expulsion.
Word family
- banishment (noun): The punishment of being sent away from a country or place.
- banished (adjective): Forced to leave a place as a punishment.
Collocations
- banish from the realm
- banish forever
- banish thoughts
Example sentences
- "The king decided to banish the rebellious duke from the realm, warning him that returning would mean death." A historical account of a medieval monarch.
- "She tried to banish all doubts from her mind as she stepped onto the stage for her performance." Figurative use regarding thoughts or emotions.
Memory hook
Imagine a 'ban' being placed on a 'dish' you love; you banish it from your kitchen forever. Ban from the land.
When not to use
Do not use for simple social avoidance; use shun or ostracize instead.
Fun facts
- In medieval law, a banished person was sometimes referred to as having a 'wolf's head,' meaning they were no longer considered human under the law and could be hunted like a wild animal.
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