www.merriam-webster.com Open in urlscan Pro
2600:9000:206f:d000:c:3d32:e340:93a1  Public Scan

Form analysis
3 forms found in the DOM

/dictionary

<form id="search-form" class="d-flex w-100 position-relative search-form search-nonempty" autocomplete="off" novalidate="" action="/dictionary">
  <input id="search-term" class="form-control rounded border-dark search" type="search" placeholder="Search Dictionary" aria-label="Search" value="banned" autocomplete="off" spellcheck="false" autocorrect="off" autocapitalize="off">
  <button class="btn position-absolute close-button" title="close" aria-label="Close Search" type="reset">
    <svg class="align-middle" width="12" height="13" viewBox="0 0 12 13" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
      <path fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd"
        d="M7.42616 6.5L11.7046 10.7785C12.0985 11.1723 12.0985 11.8108 11.7046 12.2046C11.3108 12.5985 10.6723 12.5985 10.2785 12.2046L6 7.92616L1.72153 12.2046C1.3277 12.5985 0.68919 12.5985 0.295367 12.2046C-0.0984557 11.8108 -0.0984557 11.1723 0.295367 10.7785L4.57384 6.5L0.295367 2.22153C-0.0984557 1.8277 -0.0984557 1.18919 0.295367 0.795367C0.68919 0.401544 1.3277 0.401544 1.72153 0.795367L6 5.07384L10.2785 0.795367C10.6723 0.401544 11.3108 0.401544 11.7046 0.795367C12.0985 1.18919 12.0985 1.8277 11.7046 2.22153L7.42616 6.5Z"
        fill="#97BECE"></path>
    </svg>
  </button>
  <button class="btn position-absolute search-button search-dictionary" title="Search" aria-label="Search Word" type="submit">
    <svg class="svg replaced-svg align-middle" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" width="19px" height="21px" viewBox="0 0 26 29" version="1.1">
      <g class="Search" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd">
        <g class="g-search-icon" transform="translate(1.000000, 1.000000)" fill="#fff" fill-rule="nonzero">
          <path
            d="M17.5185815,17.4073633 L24.5896493,24.4784311 C24.9801736,24.8689554 24.9801736,25.5021204 24.5896493,25.8926447 L23.1754357,27.3068582 C22.7849114,27.6973825 22.1517464,27.6973825 21.7612221,27.3068582 L14.6901543,20.2357904 C14.29963,19.8452661 14.29963,19.2121011 14.6901543,18.8215769 L16.1043679,17.4073633 C16.4948922,17.016839 17.1280572,17.016839 17.5185815,17.4073633 Z M10.5,21 C4.70101013,21 0,16.2989899 0,10.5 C0,4.70101013 4.70101013,0 10.5,0 C16.2989899,0 21,4.70101013 21,10.5 C21,16.2989899 16.2989899,21 10.5,21 Z M10.5,18 C14.6421356,18 18,14.6421356 18,10.5 C18,6.35786438 14.6421356,3 10.5,3 C6.35786438,3 3,6.35786438 3,10.5 C3,14.6421356 6.35786438,18 10.5,18 Z"
            class="Oval"></path>
        </g>
      </g>
    </svg>
  </button>
</form>

POST /word-of-the-day

<form class="js-wod-subscribe-frm wotd-side__subscribe__form" action="/word-of-the-day" method="post">
  <input type="submit" class="wod-submit wotd-side__subscribe__form__submit" name="wod-submit" value="SUBSCRIBE">
  <input type="text" class="wod-subscribe wotd-side__subscribe__form__input" name="wod-subscribe" placeholder="Your email address" aria-label="Subscribe to Word of the Day">
</form>

<form data-medium="footer" class="footer-subscribe js-wod-subscribe-frm">
  <input class="footer-subscribe-field" type="text" name="email" value="" aria-label="Sign up for Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day newsletter" placeholder="Your email address">
  <input class="footer-subscribe-button" type="submit" name="submit" aria-label="Subscribe" value="SUBSCRIBE">
  <input class="footer-subscribe-button hidden arrow" type="submit" name="submit" value=">">
</form>

Text Content

Menu Toggle Merriam-Webster Logo


 * Games & Quizzes
 * Games & Quizzes
 * Word of the Day
 * Grammar
 * Wordplay
 * Word Finder
 * Thesaurus
 * Join MWU
 * * Shop
   * Books link icon
   * Merch link icon
 * * Settings
   * My Words
   * Recents
   * Account
   * Log Out
 * More
   
   * Thesaurus
   * Join MWU link icon
   * Shop
   * Books link icon
   * Merch link icon
      * Log In
      * Username
      * My Words
      * Recents
      * Account
      * Log Out


Est. 1828
Dictionary Definition
 * verb
 * noun (1)
 * noun (2)
 * verb 3
   * verb
   * noun (1)
   * noun (2)
 * 
 * Synonyms
 * Example Sentences
 * Word History
 * Phrases Containing
 * Related Articles
 * Entries Near

 *  * Cite this EntryCitation
    * Share
    * Kids DefinitionKids
    * Legal DefinitionLegal
    * More from M-W
   
   Show more
 * Show more
   * Citation
   * Share
   * Kids
   * Legal
   * More from M-W

 * Save Word
   * To save this word, you'll need to log in.
     Log In





BAN

1 of 3


VERB

ˈban How to pronounce ban (audio)

banned; banning; bans
Synonyms of bannext

transitive verb

1
: to prohibit especially by legal means
ban discrimination

Is smoking banned in all public buildings?

also : to prohibit the use, performance, or distribution of
ban a book

ban a pesticide


2
: bar entry 2 sense 3c
banned from the U.N.


3
archaic : curse
It is a hard fate … to be banned … by the world, only because one has sought to
be wiser than the world is.— Edward Bulwer Lytton



intransitive verb

archaic : to utter curses or condemnations
The serious world will scold and ban …— Joseph Rodman Drake



ban

2 of 3


NOUN (1)

plural bans
1
: legal or formal prohibition
a ban on beef exports


2
: censure or condemnation especially through social pressure
was under ban for her political views


3
religion : anathema, excommunication
under the pope's ban


4
: malediction, curse
uttered a ban upon his enemies


5
: the summoning in feudal times of the king's vassals for military service


ban

3 of 3


NOUN (2)

ˈbän How to pronounce ban (audio)
plural bani ˈbä-(ˌ)nē How to pronounce ban (audio)
: a monetary subunit of the leu see leu at Money Table



SYNONYMS

Verb

   
 * bar
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * enjoin
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * forbid
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * interdict
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * outlaw
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * prohibit
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * proscribe
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Noun (1)

   
 * anathema
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * curse
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * execration
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * imprecation
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * malediction
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * malison
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 * winze [Scottish]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 


EXAMPLES OF BAN IN A SENTENCE

Verb The school banned that book for many years. The city has banned smoking in
all public buildings. The drug was banned a decade ago. The use of cell phones
is banned in the restaurant.

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Now, Germany is considering joining a growing list of countries banning
Ozempic’s export to shore up its own supply of the drug, as a shortage threatens
the health of manufacturer Novo Nordisk’s diabetic customers. — Byryan Hogg,
Fortune Europe, 16 Nov. 2023 Several Washington lawmakers have renewed their
calls to ban the app, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, arguing
that Beijing may be influencing the content promoted through the platform’s
algorithms. — Sapna Maheshwari, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023
Brandeis University banned the group; Columbia University and George Washington
University moved to suspend their activities. — NBC News, 16 Nov. 2023 Others
said that trading stocks shouldn’t be banned because doing so would cut off a
financial source that some politicians use to supplement their income. — Jay
O'Brien, ABC News, 15 Nov. 2023 Many states ban drug users from owning guns The
federal case against Taylor comes at a time when marijuana is legal in many
states, including Virginia, while many Americans own firearms. — CBS News, 15
Nov. 2023 This has recently led some state and federal policymakers to propose
or adopt regulations that would ban harmful chemicals—including sources of
formaldehyde found in some straighteners—from cosmetics. — Syris Valentine,
Scientific American, 14 Nov. 2023 Many California cities banned the activity in
the 1980s, with opponents maintaining that cruising was associated with gangs
and violence. — Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2023 Even if
lethal autonomous weapons are banned, reckless use of AI could cause military
systems to fail. — WIRED, 13 Nov. 2023
Noun
As Bakken production increased, Congress lifted a four-decade ban on exporting
crude oil, which started shipping out of Louisiana’s deepwater port in 2017. —
Danelle Morton, ProPublica, 18 Nov. 2023 TikTok has faced criticism and calls
for a nationwide ban due to the popularity of pro-Palestinian videos on the app
compared with pro-Israel content, even though Facebook and Instagram show a
similar gap. — Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023 Similar rulings
have been made when a judge is concerned about jury bias, though the reasons for
Justice Pomerance’s decision are shielded by a publication ban. — Vjosa Isai,
New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023 Taylor's attorneys argued that the U.S. Supreme
Court could eventually strike down the federal ban on drug users owning guns. —
CBS News, 15 Nov. 2023 European governments are cracking down on short-hop
flights and exploring bans on private jet expansion. — Chuck Collins, Fortune,
14 Nov. 2023 Related: Brain drain, skills loss, and other unintended
consequences of overturning Roe v. Wade Further, the state’s ban on the use of
taxpayer dollars on abortions prohibits Medicaid from being used to pay for
abortions with very narrow exceptions. — Emily Freeman, STAT, 13 Nov. 2023 The
announcement comes soon after the county Board of Supervisors unanimously moved
to follow the city of San Diego and explore creating its own camping ban. —
Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Nov. 2023 That 15-week ban is front and
center in the campaign right now. — ABC News, 5 Nov. 2023
See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to
illustrate current usage of the word 'ban.' Any opinions expressed in the
examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us
feedback about these examples.




WORD HISTORY

Etymology

Verb

Middle English bannen "to summon (troops) by proclamation, assemble (an armed
force), gather (arms), curse, anathematize, prohibit, outlaw," going back to Old
English bannan (class VII strong verb) "to summon by proclamation, call to
arms," going back to Germanic *bannan- "to speak formally, call on, order"
(whence also Old Frisian bonna, banna "to call upon, command, place under a
ban," Old Saxon & Old High German bannan "to summon, order," Old Norse banna "to
prohibit, curse"), going back to Indo-European *bho-n-h2-e-, presumed o-grade
intensive derivative (with gemination from a present formation with *-nu̯-e-?)
from a verbal base *bheh2- "speak, say," whence also Latin for, fārī "to speak,
say," Greek phēmí, phánai, Armenian bay "(s/he) says, speaks," and with
extensions Eastern Church Slavic baju, bajati "to tell (stories), cast a spell,
cure," Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian bȁjati "to tell tales, practice sorcery,"
Sanskrit bhánati "(s/he) speaks, says, (it) sounds"

Note: The senses "curse, anathematize, prohibit," etc., in Middle English are
not attested in Old English and are generally thought to reflect influence of
the cognate Old Norse verb. The English verb has also been influenced in sense
by Medieval Latin bannīre and Old French banir (see banish). — The
reconstruction of the source of Germanic *bannan- in Indo-European terms is from
G. Kroonen, Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Brill, 2013), though any
number of alternative reconstructions are possible that result in the new verbal
base *bann-. Indo-European *bheh2- "speak, say" is phonetically identical with
and probably a semantic offshoot of the base *bheh2- "shine, give light, appear"
(see fantasy entry 1); the presumed sense in shift would be "shine, give light"
> "make bright, illuminate" > "make clear, clarify" > "speak, say."

Noun (1)

Middle English ban, bane, banne "proclamation by an authority, summons, one of
the marriage banns, troop of warriors summoned by their overlord," in part noun
derivative of bannen "to summon (troops) by proclamation," in part borrowed from
Anglo-French ban, baan "proclamation, edict, jurisdiction, one of the marriage
banns" (also continental Old French, "summons to arms by a lord, proclamation
commanding or prohibiting an action"), going back to Old Low Franconian *banna-,
going back to Germanic (whence also Old Frisian bon, ban, bān "order commanding
or prohibiting under pain of a fine, authority, summoning of the army,
banishment," Old Saxon bann "command, summons, fine, excommunication," Old High
German ban "command by an authority, order, legal extension or withdrawal of
protection"), noun derivative of *bannan- "to speak formally, call on, order" —
more at ban entry 1

Note: The Middle English noun may also continue Old English gebann, gebenn
"edict, proclamation, command," a derivative of gebannan, similar in meaning to
unprefixed bannan. The negative senses "prohibition, condemnation," etc., though
present to a limited degree already in early Medieval Latin, do not appear in
English (or French) until the sixteenth century, and are in part derived from
the verb ban entry 1. The Germanic etymon appears in Latin as bannus (or
bannum), from the sixth century in Gregory of Tours' Historia Francorum, and the
seventh century in the Lex Ripuaria, the laws of the Ripuarian Franks; the Latin
word went on to develop a broad range of meanings (compare the entries in J.F.
Niermeyer, Mediae Latinitatis lexicon minus and Dictionary of Medieval Latin
from British Sources).

Noun (2)

Romanian, money, coin, small coin

First Known Use

Verb

12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Noun (2)

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ban was in the 12th century
See more words from the same century


PHRASES CONTAINING BAN

 * arrière-ban
 * test ban
 * trigger ban

 * arrière-ban
 * test ban
 * trigger ban


ARTICLES RELATED TO BAN

The Words of the Week - Jan. 13

Dictionary lookups from politics, more politics, and even more politics

'Shadowban' Emerges from the Dark

If you can see this post, it’s not happening here.




DICTIONARY ENTRIES NEAR BAN

bamoth

ban

Banaba

See More Nearby Entries 


CITE THIS ENTRY

Style
MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster

“Ban.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ban. Accessed 26 Nov. 2023.

Copy Citation


SHARE

Post the Definition of ban to Facebook Facebook Facebook
Share the Definition of ban on Twitter Twitter Twitter


KIDS DEFINITION

ban

1 of 2 verb
ˈban How to pronounce ban (audio)
banned; banning
1
: to forbid especially by law or social pressure

2
: bar entry 2 sense 4


ban

2 of 2 noun
1
: curse entry 1 sense 1

2
: an official order forbidding something




LEGAL DEFINITION

ban

1 of 2 transitive verb
banned; banning
: to prohibit or forbid especially by legal means (as by statute or order)
ban solicitation

also : to prohibit the use, performance, or distribution of
legislation to ban DDT


ban

2 of 2 noun
: prohibition especially by statute or order
a ban on automatic weapons



MORE FROM MERRIAM-WEBSTER ON BAN

Nglish: Translation of ban for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of ban for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ban

Last Updated: 20 Nov 2023 - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and
advanced search—ad free!

Merriam-Webster unabridged


CAN YOU SOLVE 4 WORDS AT ONCE?

Play Play


CAN YOU SOLVE 4 WORDS AT ONCE?

Play Play


WORD OF THE DAY

OLFACTORY

Listen to the pronunciation of olfactory

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!





GAMES & QUIZZES

Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play
Blossom Word Game You can make only 12 words. Pick the best ones!
Play
Missing Letter A crossword with a twist
Play
Spelling Bee Quiz Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...
Take the quiz
Merriam Webster

Learn a new word every day. Delivered to your inbox!



OTHER MERRIAM-WEBSTER DICTIONARIES

 * MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S UNABRIDGED DICTIONARY
 * SCRABBLE® WORD FINDER
 * MERRIAM-WEBSTER DICTIONARY API

 * NGLISH - SPANISH-ENGLISH TRANSLATION
 * BRITANNICA ENGLISH - ARABIC TRANSLATION

FOLLOW US

 * Facebook
 * Twitter
 * YouTube
 * Instagram

 * Browse the Dictionary:
 * a
 * b
 * c
 * d
 * e
 * f
 * g
 * h
 * i
 * j
 * k
 * l
 * m
 * n
 * o
 * p
 * q
 * r
 * s
 * t
 * u
 * v
 * w
 * x
 * y
 * z
 * 0-9
 * BIO
 * GEO

 * Home
 * Help
 * About Us
 * Shop
 * Advertising Info
 * Dictionary API
 * Contact Us
 * Join MWU
 * Videos
 * Word of the Year
 * Kid's Dictionary
 * Law Dictionary
 * Medical Dictionary
 * Privacy Policy
 * Terms of Use

 * Browse the Thesaurus
 * Browse the Medical Dictionary
 * Browse the Legal Dictionary
 * Browse the Kid's Dictionary

© 2023 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated


Update Privacy Preferences