Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

interdict

Definition of interdict

noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɪntədɪkt/
  • an authoritative prohibition, in particular:
  • Law, chiefly Scottish a court order forbidding an act; a negative injunction.
  • (in the Roman Catholic Church) a sentence debarring a person or place from ecclesiastical functions and privileges:a papal interdict

verb

Pronunciation: /ˌɪntəˈdɪkt/
[with object] chiefly North American
  • 1prohibit or forbid (something):society will never interdict sex
  • (interdict someone from) prohibit someone from (doing something):I have not been interdicted from consuming alcoholic beverages
  • 2intercept and prevent the movement of (a prohibited commodity or person):army efforts to interdict enemy supply shipments
  • Military impede (an enemy force), especially by bombing lines of communication or supply.

Derivatives

interdiction

Pronunciation: /-ˈdɪkʃ(ə)n/
noun

Origin:

Middle English entredite (in the ecclesiastical sense), from Old French entredit, from Latin interdictum, past participle of interdicere 'interpose, forbid by decree', from inter- 'between' + dicere 'say'. The spelling change in the 16th century was due to association with the Latin form

interdict in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of interdict in the US English dictionary
  |  Cite
Oxford Dictionaries Pro

For Oxford's best resources for writers, plus thesaurus, audio, and 1.9m examples.

Shop for an Oxford dictionary

Find the perfect Oxford dictionary for you in our online shop.
SHOP NOW ►

Word of the day

cur

/ kəː /
noun
an aggressive or unkempt dog …