verb
banish
BA-nihsh
verb
1
To officially force someone to leave a place, usually as punishment, and forbid their return.
"The king banished the traitor from the kingdom forever."
"She was banished from the club after breaking the rules repeatedly."
2
To drive an unwanted thought or feeling from one's mind.
"He tried to banish all doubt before walking on stage."
How to Use Banish
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo send someone away permanently, or to force an unwanted thought out of your mind.
Common pairings
banish someone from
banish all doubt
banished into exile
Word Forms
banished past tense, banishes singular
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Etymology
From Old French banir, "to proclaim or outlaw," rooted in the same Germanic word behind ban — to banish someone was originally to publicly declare them an outlaw.