banish
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to expel from or relegate to a country or place by authoritative decree; condemn to exile.
He was banished to Devil's Island.
- Synonyms:
- deport, outlaw, expatriate, exile
-
to compel to depart; send, drive, or put away.
to banish sorrow.
verb
-
to expel from a place, esp by an official decree as a punishment
-
to drive away
to banish gloom
Other Word Forms
- banisher noun
- banishment noun
- self-banished adjective
- unbanished adjective
Etymology
Origin of banish
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English banisshen, from Anglo-French, Old French baniss-, long stem of banir, from unrecorded Frankish bannjan “to proclaim,” akin to ban 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She was recalled for the semi-final against France and scored twice - including another remarkable solo try - to banish any doubts over her form before the final.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
Moments later Cronin was grabbing the kid’s shirt and leading him to the baseline, where he ordered an assistant coach to remove him from the court area and banish him to the locker room.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026
But on Tuesday, Shiffrin finally has a chance to banish that dread—with some help from a newly crowned Olympic champion.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026
When it comes time for the players to banish someone else, Rausch finds he can’t stick with his fellow Traitors’ agreed-upon strategy to push out Funches.
From Salon • Jan. 28, 2026
Didn’t the señor know that salt water would purify the book and banish disease?
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
