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interdict

 - 7 dictionary results

in⋅ter⋅dict

[n. in-ter-dikt; v. in-ter-dikt]
–noun
1. Civil Law. any prohibitory act or decree of a court or an administrative officer.
2. Roman Catholic Church. a punishment by which the faithful, remaining in communion with the church, are forbidden certain sacraments and prohibited from participation in certain sacred acts.
3. Roman Law. a general or special order of the Roman praetor forbidding or commanding an act, esp. in cases involving disputed possession.
–verb (used with object)
4. to forbid; prohibit.
5. Ecclesiastical. to cut off authoritatively from certain ecclesiastical functions and privileges.
6. to impede by steady bombardment: Constant air attacks interdicted the enemy's advance.

Origin:
1250–1300; (n.) < L interdictum prohibition, n. use of neut. of interdictus ptp. of interdīcere to forbid, equiv. to inter- inter- + -dic- (var. s. of dīcere to speak) + -tus ptp. suffix; r. ME enterdit < OF < L, as above; (v.) < L interdictus; r. ME enterditen < OF entredire (ptp. entredit) < L, as above


in⋅ter⋅dic⋅tor, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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in·ter·dict   (ĭn'tər-dĭkt')   
tr.v.   in·ter·dict·ed, in·ter·dict·ing, in·ter·dicts
  1. To prohibit or place under an ecclesiastical or legal sanction.

  2. To forbid or debar, especially authoritatively. See Synonyms at forbid.

    1. To cut or destroy (a line of communication) by firepower so as to halt an enemy's advance.

    2. To confront and halt the activities, advance, or entry of: "the role of the FBI in interdicting spies attempting to pass US secrets to the Soviet Union" (Christian Science Monitor).

n.   (ĭn'tər-dĭkt')
  1. Law A prohibition by court order.

  2. Roman Catholic Church An ecclesiastical censure that excludes a person or district from participation in most sacraments and from Christian burial.


[Alteration of Middle English enterditen, to place under a church ban, from Old French entredit, past participle of entredire, to forbid, from Latin interdīcere, interdict- : inter-, inter- + dīcere, to say; see deik- in Indo-European roots.]
in'ter·dic'tion n., in'ter·dic'tive, in'ter·dic'to·ry (-dĭk'tə-rē) adj., in'ter·dic'tive·ly adv., in'ter·dic'tor n.
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

interdict 
c.1290, from O.Fr. entredit, pp. of entredire "forbid by decree," from L. interdicere "interpose by speech, prohibit," from inter- "between" + dicere "to speak, to say" (see diction).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: in·ter·dict
Pronunciation: 'in-t&r-"dikt
Function: noun
1 : something that prohibits
2 : one that has been interdicted —compare WARD

Main Entry: in·ter·dict
Pronunciation: "in-t&r-'dikt
Function: transitive verb
1 in the civil law of Louisiana : to deprive (a person) of the right to care for one's own person or affairs because of mental incapacity —compare COMMIT, CURATOR, TUTOR
2 : to authoritatively prohibit or bar (an act or conduct)
3 : to intercept or cut off (as a drug shipment) by force
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: in·ter·dict
Pronunciation: 'int-&r-"dikt
Function: noun
civil law : one incompetent to manage his or her affairs byreason of insanity, mental weakness, or susceptibility to undue influence
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Encyclopedia

interdict

in Roman and civil law, a remedy granted by a magistrate on the sole basis of his authority, against a breach of civil law for which there is no stipulated remedy. Interdicts can be provisionary (opening the way for further action) or final.

Learn more about interdict with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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