Definitions for: Banish


[v] drive away; "banish bad thoughts"; "banish gloom"
[v] expel, as if by official decree; "he was banished from his own country"
[v] expel from a community or group
[v] ban from a place of residence, as for punishment



Webster (1913) Definition: Ban"ish, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Banished(?); p. pr. &
vb. n. Banishing.] [OF. banir, F. bannir, LL. bannire, fr.
OHG. bannan to summon, fr. ban ban. See Ban an edict, and
Finish, v. t.]
1. To condemn to exile, or compel to leave one's country, by
authority of the ruling power. ``We banish you our
territories.'' --Shak.

2. To drive out, as from a home or familiar place; -- used
with from and out of.

How the ancient Celtic tongue came to be banished
from the Low Countries in Scotland. --Blair.

3. To drive away; to compel to depart; to dispel. ``Banish
all offense.'' --Shak.

Syn: To Banish, Exile, Expel.

Usage: The idea of a coercive removal from a place is common
to these terms. A man is banished when he is forced by
the government of a country (be he a foreigner or a
native) to leave its borders. A man is exiled when he
is driven into banishment from his native country and
home. Thus to exile is to banish, but to banish is not
always to exile. To expel is to eject or banish,
summarily or authoritatively, and usually under
circumstances of disgrace; as, to expel from a
college; expelled from decent society.

Synonyms: ban, bar, blackball, cast out, ostracise, ostracize, relegate, shun

See Also: chase away, dispel, drive away, drive off, drive out, expel, kick out, run off, rusticate, spike, throw out, turn back

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