English Reference
Noun

banishment

n. C / U
C1 Advanced US /ˈbænɪʃmənt/ UK /bˈænɪʃmənt/ ban·ish·ment UK spelling banishments

n.the act of being forced to leave a place or a group for a long time. It is a very strict punishment that stops you from living in your home country.

n.the act of being forced to leave a country or place as a punishment or for political reasons. Often implies a permanent or indefinite exclusion from a specific territory.


SIMPLE

The king ordered the banishment of the rebel from the kingdom.

CONTEXTUAL

After the failed coup, the leader faced the prospect of permanent banishment to a remote island.

COMPLEX

The poet's exile was not merely a physical banishment from his homeland, but a profound cultural and linguistic isolation that shaped his later works.


From banish + -ment.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated