# banished

/ˈbænɪʃt/ (US) · /bˈænɪʃt/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 2. sent away as punishment

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

forced to leave your home or country and not allowed to return.

For teachers: having been subject to formal banishment or exile from a specific location or community.

- The banished prince lived in a small cabin in the woods for many years.
- The banished leader spent his final years in a remote coastal village, writing memoirs about his lost influence.

Usage: Often used before a noun to describe a person's status.

Teaching tip: This sense is often found in historical or fantasy literature; in modern legal contexts, 'deported' or 'exiled' is more common.

### 3. forbidden or removed

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

describes a thought, feeling, or object that is no longer allowed or present.

For teachers: referring to something that has been prohibited or systematically excluded from a particular environment.

- Fear was banished from his mind as he stepped onto the stage.
- In this modern office, paper files are effectively banished in favour of a fully digital workflow.

Usage: Frequently appears in the passive voice or as a predicative adjective.

## Examples

- She felt banished after moving to the new city.
- Exiled from the capital, the prince felt banished and wrote letters home every week.
- Though physically safe in the countryside, the artist felt banished from the vibrant cultural life that had once defined her identity.

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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.