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banish

 - 3 dictionary results

ban⋅ish

[ban-ish]
–verb (used with object)
1. to expel from or relegate to a country or place by authoritative decree; condemn to exile: He was banished to Devil's Island.
2. to compel to depart; send, drive, or put away: to banish sorrow.

Origin:
1275–1325; ME banisshen < AF, OF baniss-, long s. of banir < Frankish *bannjan to proclaim, akin to ban 1


ban⋅ish⋅er, noun
ban⋅ish⋅ment, noun


1. exile, expatriate, outlaw; deport.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To banish
ban·ish   (bān'ĭsh)   
tr.v.   ban·ished, ban·ish·ing, ban·ish·es
  1. To force to leave a country or place by official decree; exile.

  2. To drive away; expel: We banished all our doubts and fears.


[Middle English banishen, from Old French banir, baniss-, of Germanic origin; see bhā-2 in Indo-European roots.]
ban'ish·er n., ban'ish·ment n.
Synonyms: These verbs mean to send away from a country or state. Banish applies to forced departure from a country by official decree: The spy was found guilty of treason and banished from the country.
Exile specifies voluntary or involuntary departure from one's own country because of adverse circumstances: The royal family was exiled after the uprising.
Expatriate pertains to departure that is sometimes forced but often voluntary and may imply change of citizenship: She was expatriated because of her political beliefs.
Deport denotes the official act of expelling an alien: The foreigner was deported for entering the country illegally.
Transport pertains to sending a criminal abroad, usually to a penal colony: Offenders were transported to Devil's Island.
Extradite applies to the delivery of an accused or convicted person to the state or country having jurisdiction over him or her: The court will extradite the terrorists.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

banish 
c.1320, banischen, from banniss-, extended stem of O.Fr. banir "to proclaim an outlaw," from Frank. *bannjan "to order or prohibit under penalty," or from V.L. cognate *bannire (see bandit).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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