desterrar
/desteˈraɾ/
To banish in Spanish is desterrar.
The verb refers to the act of sending someone away and forbidding them from returning, often specifically regarding forcing someone to leave their homeland.
Meaning: to send someone away and forbid that person from returning (verb)
Which one should you use?
While desterrar implies a permanent exile from a territory, expulsar is a more general term used for kicking someone out of a place or an organization.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the verb correr might be used to convey a sense of banishment or dismissal.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of desterrar is desterrado. The first-person singular future indicative form is desterraré (I will banish), and the third-person plural preterite form is desterraron (they banished).
How do you pronounce it?
/desteˈraɾ/
Did you know?
- The noun for the state of being banished, desterro, is used in Spanish literature to specifically evoke a deep, poetic sense of loneliness.
- The root of desterrar links it to the English word 'terrestrial' through the shared Latin ancestor for 'earth'.
- Because desterrar is so closely tied to tierra, the Spanish concept of banishment is fundamentally linked to physical soil and geography rather than just legal status.
Examples in context
- El dictador decidió exiliar a los opositores políticos del país.The dictator decided to exile the political opponents of the country.
- El rey desterró al traidor de su reino por sus actos desleales.The king banished the traitor from his kingdom for his disloyal acts.
- La dueña del bar echó al cliente problemático después de varias advertencias.The owner of the bar kicked out the problematic customer after several warnings.
- El rey decidió desterrar al caballero.The king decided to banish the knight.
- El rey decidió desterrar al traidor.The king decided to banish the traitor.
- No puedes desterrar a alguien sin pruebas.You cannot banish someone without proof.
- El consejo votó por desterrarlo de la ciudad.The council voted to banish him from the city.
Example conversation
A dramatic historical reenactment in a theater.
- María¡Debes desterrar al caballero del reino!You must banish the knight from the kingdom!
- AlejandroMaría, eso es demasiado severo.María, that is too severe.
- MaríaÉl no merece nuestra misericordia.He does not deserve our mercy.
- AlejandroEntonces lo desterraré de inmediato.Then I will banish him immediately.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “banish” translations and entries desterrar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries desterrar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
