banish

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to drive away

   I banish bad thoughts from my mind.

2. 2
   verb

   to expel, as if by official decree

   I was banished from my own country.

3. 3
   verb

   to expel from a community or group

   Their family banished them for marrying a member of the other religion.

4. 4
   verb

   to ban from a place of residence, as for punishment

   I banished them from our restaurant.

5. 5
   verb

   To send (someone) away and forbid them from returning.

   He was banished from the kingdom for his crimes.

6. 6
   verb

   To expel, especially from the mind.

   to banish fear; to banish a qualm

Etymology

From Middle English banishen, from Old French baniss-, extended stem of banir (“to proclaim, ban, banish”), of Germanic origin and Old English bannan, from Proto-Germanic *bannaną (“curse, forbid”). Compare French bannir. Doublet of ban.