Băn’ish, v. t.

v. t. [imp. & p. p. BANISHED; p. pr. & vb. n. BANISHING.] [Fr. bannir, p. pr. bannissant, L. Lat. bannire, bannisare, bannizare, Pr. & It. bandire, Ger. bannen, verbannen, O. H. Ger. bannan. See BAN.]

1Sense 1. To condemn to exile, or compel to leave one's country, by authority of the ruling power.

We banish you our territories. Shak.

2Sense 2. To drive away; to compel to depart; to dispel. “Banish all offense.” Shak.

Synonyms—To BANISH, EXILE, EXPEL. The idea of a coercive removal from a place is common to these terms. A man is banished when he is forced by the government of a country (be he a foreigner or a native) to leave its borders. A man is exiled when he is driven into banishment from his native country and home. Thus to exile is to banish, but to banish is not always to exile: the Tarquins were banished from Rome; Coriolanus was exiled. To expel is forcibly to eject, and usually under circumstances of disgrace; as, to expel from a college; expelled from decent society.

Banished from Rome? What's banished but set free From daily contact with the things I loathe? Croly.

To thee, behold, an exiled band we come. Rowe.

Sedition's civil broils Expelled thee from thy native Crete. West.