Definition of "ban" []

• To prohibit, especially by official decree: The city council banned billboards on most streets. See Synonyms at forbid. (verb-transitive)
• South African Under the former system of apartheid, to deprive (a person suspected of illegal activity) of the right of free movement and association with others. (verb-transitive)
• Archaic To curse. (verb-transitive)
• An excommunication or condemnation by church officials. (noun)
• A prohibition imposed by law or official decree: a ban on cigarette smoking on airplanes. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The book says that Reiss 'ban on Sinn Féin fundraising in the US following the murder by IRA members of Robert McCartney had the support of the British security services even though the Northern Ireland Office opposed the ban."
• "A challenge to the Boy Scouts 'ban on gay troop leaders was dismissed, allowing the organization to continue that ban."
• "Bloody, who still impersonate me just ignore. i had enough of those spam at blog ytds. but den again their reason stated there for the ban doesn't seems justify~ er banned account cant change password. my password are associated with my email, fb and whatever. dangerous lei huai everyday post 200+ post in hwz will trigger a ban~?"