Meaning & use
banished
Last updated
“banished” is a form of “banish”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Forced to leave a place permanently, especially as a punishment, and forbidden to return.
Grammar: Used after linking verbs (be, feel) or before nouns: 'was banished', 'the banished prince'.
Patterns
- be banished from a place
- the banished people
The banished leader lived in a distant country for many years.
After the revolution, many banished families settled abroad.
He felt banished from his own community.
verbtransitive
Past tense and past participle of 'banish': sent someone away as a punishment or forced something out of your mind.
Grammar: Regular verb; the past tense and past participle are both 'banished'.
Patterns
- banished someone from somewhere
- banished a thought
The king banished his brother from the kingdom.
She banished all doubts and focused on the task.
Word forms
| base form | banish |
|---|---|
| third person singular | banishes |
| past tense | banished |
| past participle | banished |
| -ing form | banishing |
Common combinations
- banished from
- The rebels were banished from the country.
- banished to
- He was banished to a remote island.
- banished forever
- The family was banished forever and never returned.
- banished into exile
- The poet was banished into exile for his writings.
Synonyms and how they differ
- exiled
- Very close; 'exiled' often emphasizes living away from your home country, while 'banished' stresses the official order to leave.
- deported
- Used for foreigners forced to leave a country by law; 'banished' is broader and often historical or literary.
- expelled
- Usually means forced out of a school or organization, not a whole country.
Opposites
Word family
- banish verb
- To send someone away permanently as a punishment.
- banishment noun
- The act of sending someone away or the state of being sent away.
Commonly confused: banished or banned?
banished vs banned
'Banned' means officially forbidden (e.g., a banned substance); 'banished' means forced to leave a place.
Practice
The king decided to ______ his rival from the kingdom.
Choose one answer.
After 'to' we need the base form 'banish'. 'Banished' is past tense, and 'banishment' is a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “banished”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.