# banish

/ˈbænɪʃ/ (US) · /bˈænɪʃ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/banish
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to send away

verb · CEFR B2

to officially order someone to leave a country or place as a punishment.

For teachers: to expel a person from a country or community by official decree, typically as a formal punishment.

- The king decided to banish the knight from the kingdom forever.
- Historical records indicate that the rebel leaders were banished to a remote island, forbidden from ever returning to the capital.

Usage: Takes a direct object; often used with the preposition 'from'.

### 2. to remove a thought

verb · CEFR B2

to get rid of a thought, fear, or feeling completely.

For teachers: to dismiss or expel a thought, feeling, or idea from the mind.

- She tried to banish all negative thoughts before the big interview.
- The athlete worked with a psychologist to banish the lingering fear of re-injury that had hampered his performance all season.

Usage: Commonly used with abstract nouns like 'fear', 'doubt', or 'thought'.

## Examples

- The king decided to banish the traitor from the kingdom forever.
- After the scandal, the board of directors voted to banish the former CEO from all future company events.
- She tried to banish the memory of the accident from her mind, but the vivid images returned every time she closed her eyes to sleep.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.