banishment

[ban-ish-muhnt]

noun

1. expulsion from a country, place, or position by authoritative decree, or the state of having been expelled.

   A royal proclamation ordered the banishment of all priests from the city.

   The team’s wide receiver flunked another drug test and will now be subject to a one-year banishment, according to league sources.

2. the act of driving away, or the state of having been sent away or driven out.

   We strive for the preservation of peace and the banishment of tyranny and slavery from the earth.

   The decades after World War II were marked not by disarmament and the banishment of war but by ceaseless confrontation and the division of the world into hostile blocs.

Other Word Forms

• nonbanishment noun
• probanishment noun
• self-banishment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of banishment¹

banish ( def. ) + -ment ( def. )

Example Sentences

He eventually brokered a settlement, allowing Rose to voluntarily accept banishment for life in return for no further punishment.

From Salon

Cher wasn’t offended by the banishment; in fact, she clarified her fashion intentions with impeccable logic.

From Salon

“We got banned,” said Swagrman, who was told the reason for the banishment was because he would not give his name or ID to the officer.

From Los Angeles Times

His rampage is bad for the planet, whereas a common millionaire on the verge of banishment from his community country club is primarily dangerous to those in his sight line.

From Salon

After weeks of challenges, murders, roundtables and banishments, the final prize fund was worth £94,600.

From BBC

Related Words

• deportation 
• expulsion