interdict

[ noun in-ter-dikt; verb in-ter-dikt ]
/ noun ˈɪn tərˌdɪkt; verb ˌɪn tərˈdɪkt /

noun

Civil Law. any prohibitory act or decree of a court or an administrative officer.
Roman Catholic Church. a punishment by which the faithful, remaining in communion with the church, are forbidden certain sacraments and prohibited from participation in certain sacred acts.
Roman Law. a general or special order of the Roman praetor forbidding or commanding an act, especially in cases involving disputed possession.

verb (used with object)

to forbid; prohibit.
Ecclesiastical. to cut off authoritatively from certain ecclesiastical functions and privileges.
to impede by steady bombardment: Constant air attacks interdicted the enemy's advance.

Origin of interdict

1250–1300; (noun) < Latin interdictum prohibition, noun use of neuter of interdictus past participle of interdīcere to forbid, equivalent to inter- inter- + -dic- (variant stem of dīcere to speak) + -tus past participle suffix; replacing Middle English enterdit < Old French < Latin, as above; (v.) < Latin interdictus; replacing Middle English enterditen < Old French entredire (past participle entredit) < Latin, as above

OTHER WORDS FROM interdict

in·ter·dic·tor, noun un·in·ter·dict·ed, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for interdict

British Dictionary definitions for interdict

interdict

noun (ˈɪntəˌdɪkt, -ˌdaɪt)

RC Church the exclusion of a person or all persons in a particular place from certain sacraments and other benefits, although not from communion
civil law any order made by a court or official prohibiting an act
Scots law an order having the effect of an injunction
Roman history
  1. an order of a praetor commanding or forbidding an act
  2. the procedure by which this order was sought

verb (ˌɪntəˈdɪkt, -ˈdaɪt) (tr)

to place under legal or ecclesiastical sanction; prohibit; forbid
military to destroy (an enemy's lines of communication) by firepower

Derived forms of interdict

interdictive or interdictory, adjective interdictively, adverb interdictor, noun

Word Origin for interdict

C13: from Latin interdictum prohibition, from interdīcere to forbid, from inter- + dīcere to say