banish

Banish is a verb meaning to compel someone to leave a place or to expel from a community, territory, or institution. It can refer to formal legal punishment or to a broader act of rejection or exclusion. The term also appears in metaphorical uses, as in banishing fears or doubts.

Etymology traces to Old French bannir, from ban "prohibition" or edict, originally signaling a formal decree of removal. In practice, banishment has taken many forms: permanent exile, temporary exile, or deportation with permission to return. It is related to but distinct from punishment that expels residents, and from social ostracism.

Throughout history, banishment has been used by states and authorities to remove individuals deemed dangerous, disloyal, or undesirable. Ancient Athens practiced ostracism, a form of collective banishment; medieval and early modern Europe employed royal banishments and exile; in many contexts the punishment targeted political rivals, dissenters, or criminals.

Today, formal banishment is comparatively rare in modern legal systems, with exile, deportation, or residency restrictions functioning as alternatives. In everyday language, banish also appears in literature and rhetoric to convey strong rejection.