banish
C1Formal; literary; official/legal.
Definition
Meaning
To send someone away from a country or place as an official punishment; to force to leave.
To drive away, dismiss, or get rid of something (like a thought, feeling, or memory).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily transitive. Strongly implies authority, force, and permanence. Often used in contexts of political/moral judgment, mental discipline, or legal exile.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major syntactic or meaning differences. Both use the word identically.
Connotations
Both share formal/official connotations. More frequent in historical/literary contexts for both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly higher relative frequency in UK English in historical/political discourse, but the difference is negligible.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
SUBJ + banish + OBJ + (from + PLACE)SUBJ + banish + OBJ + (to + PLACE)SUBJ + banish + OBJ (abstract)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Banish the thought!”
- “Banish to the back of beyond.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Might be used metaphorically: 'The new policy aims to banish inefficiency from our processes.'
Academic
Used in historical, political, and literary studies: 'The king moved to banish his rivals from the court.'
Everyday
Mostly metaphorical: 'I'm trying to banish negative thoughts.' Less common than 'get rid of.'
Technical
Not typical in technical fields outside of specific historical/legal writing.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The decree sought to banish all dissenters from the realm.
- She tried to banish the gloomy weather from her mind.
American English
- The court ordered to banish the offender from the state.
- He needed to banish all doubts before the presentation.
adjective
British English
- The banished prince lived in obscurity.
- He felt a sense of banished hope.
American English
- The banished leader sought asylum abroad.
- A mood of banished optimism pervaded the room.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The king will banish the traitor.
- The old law could banish people for minor crimes.
- She tried to banish her nervousness.
- The regime banished its political opponents to remote islands.
- Meditation helps me banish distracting thoughts.
- The treaty contained a clause to banish the defeated general perpetually from public life.
- He sought to banish the ignominy of his past failures through sheer accomplishment.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'The BANisher gave the person a BAN from the country, making them vanish.' BAN + VANISH = BANISH.
Conceptual Metaphor
UNWANTED THINGS ARE INTRUDERS THAT CAN BE EXILED (e.g., banish fear, banish doubt).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'banirovat'' (to ban online). 'Banish' is stronger and more physical/political. The closer translation is 'izgnat'' or 'vyslat''.
- Avoid using for temporary exclusion (like from a game).
Common Mistakes
- He was banished to leave the country. (Redundant: use 'He was banished from the country.' or 'He was banished.')
- Using it for mild, informal situations: 'I banished the clothes from my wardrobe.' (Overly strong; use 'got rid of.')
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'banish' LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is commonly used for abstract things like thoughts, fears, or doubts (e.g., banish anxiety).
'Deport' is a modern legal term for removing a non-citizen from a country. 'Banish' is broader, older, and can be from any place or even the mind, and can apply to citizens.
Yes, in informal contexts it can be used humorously for exaggeration: 'I banished all junk food from the house.'
Banishment (e.g., 'He was sent into banishment.').