interdict

[ noun in-ter-dikt; verb in-ter-dikt ]

noun

1. Civil Law. any prohibitory act or decree of a court or an administrative officer.
2. Roman Catholic Church. a punishment by which the faithful, remaining in communion with the church, are forbidden certain sacraments and prohibited from participation in certain sacred acts.
3. Roman Law. a general or special order of the Roman praetor forbidding or commanding an act, especially in cases involving disputed possession.

verb (used with object)

1. to forbid; prohibit.
2. Ecclesiastical. to cut off authoritatively from certain ecclesiastical functions and privileges.
3. to impede by steady bombardment:

   Constant air attacks interdicted the enemy's advance.

interdict

noun

1. RC Church the exclusion of a person or all persons in a particular place from certain sacraments and other benefits, although not from communion
2. civil law any order made by a court or official prohibiting an act
3. Scots law an order having the effect of an injunction
4. Roman history
   1. an order of a praetor commanding or forbidding an act
   2. the procedure by which this order was sought

verb

1. to place under legal or ecclesiastical sanction; prohibit; forbid
2. military to destroy (an enemy's lines of communication) by firepower

Derived Forms

• ˌinterˈdictively, adverb
• ˌinterˈdictor, noun
• ˌinterˈdictive, adjective

Other Words From

• inter·dictor noun
• unin·ter·dicted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of interdict¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; (noun) from Latin interdictum “prohibition,” noun use of neuter of interdictus, past participle of interdīcere “to forbid,” equivalent to inter- “between, among, together” + -dic- (variant stem of dīcere “to speak”) + -tus past participle suffix; replacing Middle English enterdit, from Old French, from Latin, as above; (verb) from Latin interdictus; replacing Middle English enterditen, from Old French entredire (past participle entredit ), from Latin, as above; inter-

Word History and Origins

Origin of interdict¹

C13: from Latin interdictum prohibition, from interdīcere to forbid, from inter- + dīcere to say

Example Sentences

Foreign security sector support can and should include efforts to interdict poachers.

From The Daily Beast

Excommunications were again hurled at Bruce and his bishops, and Scotland was laid under ecclesiastical interdict.

From Project Gutenberg

The Interdict included you with Mordred; it is not to be removed while you remain alive.

From Project Gutenberg

Mordred attacked; the Bishop of Canterbury dropped down on him with the Interdict.

From Project Gutenberg

We imagined we had educated it out of them; they thought so, too; the Interdict woke them up like a thunderclap!

From Project Gutenberg

Is reason so largely developed in the great mass of men that the priests should interdict its use as dangerous?

From Project Gutenberg