banishment
gb/bˈænɪʃmənt/ us/bˈænɪʃmənt/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
formal
C1
action
1
forced exile as a punishment
an official order that makes someone leave a place and not come back
Usage pattern:
banishment of [someone] from [place]
Common mistake:
Do not confuse banishment (sending a person away) with a ban (stopping an activity or product).
Synonyms
exile (More common; can be official or not.)
|
deportation (Emphasizes removal by immigration authorities; less about punishment for citizens.)
|
expulsion (General removal; may not imply being barred from returning.)
Antonyms
pardon (Cancels or reduces punishment.)
|
repatriation (Return to one’s country after being away or forced out.)
Collocations
order of banishment
|sentence of banishment
|decree of banishment
|banishment from the country
|banishment from the city
|permanent banishment
|political banishment
|face banishment
|threaten banishment
|pronounce banishment
Themes
law
|politics
|crime
|history
Examples
- The king ordered her banishment from the capital for treason.
- Banishment was used as a punishment for political opponents.
- His sentence included banishment and the loss of all property.
Learner examples
- The law allowed banishment for serious crimes.
- He was punished with banishment from the city.
Noun
formal
C1
state
2
the state of living in exile
the time when someone must live away from home because they were sent away
Usage pattern:
in banishment; during [someone's] banishment
Common mistake:
In this meaning, banishment refers to the period/condition, not the decision or order itself.
Synonyms
exile (The usual word for the state or period of being away from one’s country.)
|
displacement (More general; may be due to war or disaster, not punishment.)
Antonyms
homecoming (Returning home after an absence.)
|
return (Going back; cancels the state of exile.)
Collocations
live in banishment
|years of banishment
|life in banishment
|return from banishment
|end of banishment
|long banishment
|forced banishment
|remain in banishment
|die in banishment
|write in banishment
Themes
life_events
|history
|politics
Examples
- He spent a decade in banishment before he was allowed to return.
- In banishment, she continued to publish essays criticizing the regime.
- Their family survived the long years of banishment abroad.
Learner examples
- She lived in banishment for many years.
Noun
formal
C2
state
3
being excluded from a group
being pushed out and not accepted by a group
Usage pattern:
banishment from [a group/society/public life]
Common mistake:
This meaning is usually figurative; it does not necessarily mean being forced to leave a country.
Synonyms
ostracism (Focuses on social shunning by a group.)
|
exclusion (Neutral and broad; less dramatic.)
|
blacklisting (Especially about work; being unofficially barred from employment.)
Antonyms
acceptance (Being welcomed and treated as part of the group.)
|
inclusion (Being allowed to participate and belong.)
|
reinstatement (Being given back a former position or membership.)
Collocations
banishment from society
|banishment from public life
|social banishment
|professional banishment
|face banishment
|risk banishment
|banishment from the party
|banishment from the industry
|a kind of banishment
|virtual banishment
Themes
society
|work
|relationships
|emotions
Examples
- After the scandal, she faced banishment from polite society.
- The critic’s comments led to his banishment from the festival circuit.
- In that small town, one mistake could mean social banishment.
Learner examples
- He feared banishment from the group.
Noun
literary
C2
process
4
the removal of something unwanted
the act of making something go away completely
Usage pattern:
the banishment of [something] from [place/situation/mind]
Common mistake:
This is usually a figurative use; in everyday speech, people often say removal or getting rid of instead.
Synonyms
elimination (More direct and common in modern usage.)
|
removal (Neutral; does not suggest a dramatic expelling.)
|
eradication (Stronger; suggests destroying completely, often for diseases or problems.)
Antonyms
presence (The thing remains instead of being removed.)
|
return (The thing comes back after being removed.)
Collocations
banishment of fear
|banishment of doubt
|banishment of poverty
|banishment of pain
|banishment of illness
|banishment from the mind
|seek the banishment of
|promise the banishment of
|call for the banishment of
|work toward the banishment of
Themes
emotions
|health
|writing
Examples
- Meditation helped with the banishment of anxious thoughts.
- The new policy promised the banishment of corruption from public offices.
- He spoke of the banishment of doubt as if it were simple.
Learner examples
- Exercise can help with the banishment of stress.
Grammar
Expressions
decree of banishment
1/dɪkɹˈi əv bˈænɪʃmənt/
fixed phrase
formal
official order of exile
an official order to send someone away
Examples
- The general signed a decree of banishment against his rivals.
- A decree of banishment forced the family to leave overnight.
in banishment
1/ˈɪn bˈænɪʃmənt/
fixed phrase
formal
while living in exile
living away from home because you were sent away
Examples
- He wrote most of his memoirs while in banishment.
- In banishment for three years, she built a new life abroad.
self-imposed banishment
1/sˈɛlf ɪmpˈoʊzd bˈænɪʃmənt/
fixed phrase
formal
voluntary exile or withdrawal
when someone chooses to stay away like an exile
Examples
- After the controversy, he went into self-imposed banishment from social media.
- Her self-imposed banishment from public life lasted for years.
sentence of banishment
1/sˈɛntəns əv bˈænɪʃmənt/
fixed phrase
legal
court-ordered exile punishment
a legal punishment that forces someone to leave
Examples
- The judge issued a sentence of banishment from the province.
- In earlier centuries, a sentence of banishment could replace imprisonment.