ban

The word “ban” means to officially forbid something. In plain terms, to officially forbid something, or the rule that forbids it.

“Ban” is pronounced BAN (/ˈbæn/ in IPA).

Here is “ban” used in a sentence: “The city banned smoking in all public parks.”

Depending on how it is used, “ban” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “ban” comes from Old English. From Old English bannan, "to summon or proclaim," and Old Norse banna, "to curse or forbid" — both from a Germanic root meaning to proclaim or curse.

“Ban” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Ban” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to officially forbid something.

Both mean to forbid, but ban tends to be broader and more public, often applied to whole categories — a smoking ban or a book ban. Prohibit sounds more formal and legal, and usually refers to specific acts stated in rules or laws. In practice the two are very close in meaning.

A ban is imposed by an authority — a government, school, or platform — to forbid something. A boycott is the opposite direction: ordinary people voluntarily refuse to buy or take part in something as a form of protest. One comes from those in power; the other is a grassroots choice.

Yes. Some bans are permanent, but many are temporary or conditional — a player might receive a three-match ban, or a product might be banned until it passes safety checks. A ban can also be lifted later if the authority that imposed it decides the restriction is no longer needed.

The opposite of banning something is permitting or allowing it. When an existing ban is removed, we say it is lifted. So while to ban is to officially forbid, to permit, allow, or authorise means to officially let something happen. Legalise is another antonym when the ban was written into law.