Banishment

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbænɪʃmənt/

Definitions

1. The process of expelling a person from a given area, often as a punitive measure, along with the resulting state of being barred from re-entering said area or community
2. The action of expelling an individual from a specific location, which results in their permanent separation from a community or area due to punishment or legal decree
3. The act of forcing someone to leave a particular area and forbidding them to return as a form of penalty

Etymology: Banish came into English from Old French "banir," which traces back to a Frankish word meaning to proclaim under a ban, so the original sense was closer to an announced public order than to driving someone away. The noun "banishment" is straightforward in construction: it is the English word "banish" with the suffix "-ment," a common ending that turns verbs into nouns denoting an action or its result, like "judgment" or "government." The suffix has a long pedigree. The "-ment" ending descends from Latin "-mentum," which was attached to verb stems to form nouns, and it passed into English through Old French "-ment." Middle English speakers then used it freely, so "banishment" took shape by simple combination with a verb they already had. Its meaning stayed close to the plain legal sense of exile as a penalty.

Synonyms: exile, expulsion, deportation

Antonyms: welcome, acceptance