banning
Declaring something off-limits
Banning is the act of officially prohibiting something or excluding someone.
Governments ban substances, platforms ban users, organizations ban practices: The banning of books from school libraries sparked protests.
The word carries more weight than simply forbidding—it suggests formal, authoritative prohibition with consequences for violation.
Temporary prohibition or delay
- embargoOfficial prohibition on trade
- interdictionAuthoritative prohibition or blockade
- proscriptionFormal ban or condemnation
- injunctionCourt-ordered behavioral requirement
veto · decree · edict · ordinance · statute · regulation · taboo · disallowance
Forcible prevention or concealment
- redactionObscuring sensitive text
- silencingStopping noise or dissent
- book-burningDeliberate destruction of texts
- bowdlerizeRemove objectionable content
expurgate · sanitization · propaganda · newspeak · blacklisting · blackballing · muzzling · gagging
Banishment from a group
- expulsionForced permanent removal
- banishmentForced removal from place
- blackballingGroup exclusion practice
- blacklistingFormally marking for rejection
shunning · excommunication · barring · disqualification · suspension · ejection · removal · debarment
Legal expulsion from country
- expatriationLeaving one's native country
- extraditionFugitive transfer between jurisdictions
- expulsionForced permanent removal
- displacementRemoval from usual location
banishment · refugee · asylum · stateless · diaspora · deportee · outcast · repatriation
moratorium
Temporary prohibition or delay
- embargoOfficial prohibition on trade
- interdictionAuthoritative prohibition or blockade
- proscriptionFormal ban or condemnation
injunction · veto · decree · edict · ordinance · statute · regulation · taboo · disallowance · blockade
suppression
Forcible prevention or concealment
- redactionObscuring sensitive text
- silencingStopping noise or dissent
- book-burningDeliberate destruction of texts
bowdlerize · expurgate · sanitization · propaganda · newspeak · blacklisting · blackballing · muzzling · gagging · delisting
ostracism
Banishment from a group
- expulsionForced permanent removal
- banishmentForced removal from place
- blackballingGroup exclusion practice
blacklisting · shunning · excommunication · barring · disqualification · suspension · ejection · removal · debarment · boycott
deportation
Legal expulsion from country
- expatriationLeaving one's native country
- extraditionFugitive transfer between jurisdictions
- expulsionForced permanent removal
displacement · banishment · refugee · asylum · stateless · diaspora · deportee · outcast · repatriation · emigration
- censorshipcensored, censors, book burning, excision, suppressed
- exclusionsexclude, exclusion, excluding, except, exception
- punishmentsjail, prison, timeout, grounded, fine
- mistreatmentbullying, harassing, intimidating, oppressing, humiliating
- prevention actionshandwashing, sanitizing, vaccination, masking, distancing
- cyber conflictstrolling, cyberbullying, flame war, online harassment, doxing
banningallowing
Granting permission to proceed
permitting · authorizing · sanctioning · legalizing · approving
- book banningProhibiting access to texts
- shadow banningCovert visibility restriction online