Meaning & use
debarred
Last updated
“debarred” is a form of “debar”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitiveformal
Officially prevented from doing something or from joining something, usually by a rule or a decision.
Grammar: Past tense and past participle of debar; usually passive: he was debarred from voting.
Patterns
- be debarred from something
- be debarred from doing something
Anyone convicted of the offense is debarred from holding public office.
The company was debarred from bidding on government contracts.
She felt debarred from the discussion because she had no vote.
adjectiveafter a verbformal
Not allowed to take part in something because of a rule or penalty.
Grammar: Used after be or remain: he remains debarred.
Patterns
- remain debarred
The debarred contractor appealed the decision.
Players who cheat remain debarred for life.
The debarred lawyer could no longer represent clients.
Word forms
| base form | debar |
|---|---|
| third person singular | debars |
| -ing form | debarring |
Common combinations
- debarred from office
- He was debarred from office for ten years.
- permanently debarred
- The firm was permanently debarred from public contracts.
- debarred from entering
- Visitors without a permit are debarred from entering.
- debarred from practicing
- The doctor was debarred from practicing medicine.
- be debarred
- Candidates may be debarred if they break the rules.
Synonyms and how they differ
- barred
- Barred is shorter and more common, and it can also mean physically blocked, which debarred rarely does.
- excluded
- Excluded is broader and does not suggest an official ruling.
- banned
- Banned is everyday and strongly suggests a prohibition, while debarred is formal and stresses removal of a right.
- disqualified
- Disqualified usually refers to a failure to meet a standard or break a rule in a competition.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: debarred or disbarred?
debarred vs disbarred
Disbarred is used only for a lawyer who is removed from the legal profession. Debarred is broader and can apply to anyone excluded from something.
Practice
After the scandal, the firm was ___ from bidding for government work.
Choose one answer.
Debarred from means officially prevented from. Deprived of is a tempting wrong option, but it uses of, not from, and means having something taken away.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “debarred”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.