What does banishing mean?
Banishing is the act of driving someone or something out — whether a person expelled from a kingdom by royal decree, an unwelcome thought pushed from one's mind, or a malevolent spirit driven away in folklore. As the present-participle form of the verb 'banish', it appears both in ongoing actions ('she is banishing him from court') and as a verbal noun describing the process itself. Its literal sense carries the heavy historical weight of exile, a punishment once feared nearly as much as execution because it severed people from home, kin, and identity. Its figurative sense is lighter and more modern, common in self-help writing where phrases like 'banishing negative thoughts' lend a decisive, almost ceremonial tone to personal change. A third, imaginative sense flourishes in fantasy literature and occult tradition, where banishing rituals dispel spirits or dark forces. This range — from state punishment to mental housekeeping to magical ritual — makes banishing a word that bridges law, psychology, and legend with striking ease.
The act of expelling a person, object, thought, or spirit from a place, community, or the mind.
"The king is banishing the traitor beyond the northern borders at dawn."
Most often appears in progressive tenses ('was banishing') or in figurative phrases about dismissing thoughts or habits.
The act or process of banishing regarded as a noun, e.g. when naming or discussing the practice itself.
"The practice of banishing wrongdoers dates back to ancient Rome."
Common in academic, historical, or literary discussion of exile and ritual expulsion.
In medieval times, banishment was considered worse than death in some cultures — because to be banished was to lose your home, identity, and community all at once.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of banishing
Banishing derives from the verb 'banish', which entered English from Old French 'banir' (meaning to summon or proclaim under threat of outlawry) in the late medieval period. The Old French term traces back to Frankish Germanic roots connected to the word 'ban' — a formal proclamation or edict. The same Germanic root gave rise to related words like 'banns' (marriage proclamations) and influenced the concept of outlawry in medieval law. The '-ing' form simply reflects standard English verb inflection applied to this imported verb.
Related word forms
How banishing is actually used
As the -ing form of 'banish', it most often appears in progressive contexts ('is banishing', 'was banishing') or as a verbal noun in phrases like 'the act of banishing'. In figurative use it carries a slightly dramatic, almost theatrical tone common in self-help language and fantasy fiction; in literal use it evokes the gravity of exile and legal punishment.
Easily confused with banishing
'Banishing' is the ongoing act or process of expulsion, while 'banished' describes someone who has already been expelled.
'Banning' forbids or prohibits something formally (e.g. banning a book), whereas 'banishing' removes a person or thing from a place altogether.