interdict

1 of 2

noun

in·ter·dict ˈin-tər-ˌdikt

Synonyms of interdict next

: a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical censure withdrawing most sacraments and Christian burial from a person or district

: a prohibitory decree

interdict

2 of 2

verb

in·ter·dict ˌin-tər-ˈdikt

interdicted; interdicting; interdicts

transitive verb

: to lay under or prohibit by an interdict

: to forbid in a usually formal or authoritative manner

: to destroy, damage, or cut off (something, such as an enemy line of supply) by firepower to stop or hamper an enemy

: intercept sense 1a

interdict drug shipments

interdiction

ˌin-tər-ˈdik-shən

noun

interdictive

ˌin-tər-ˈdik-tiv

adjective

interdictor

ˌin-tər-ˈdik-tər

noun

interdictory

ˌin-tər-ˈdik-t(ə-)rē

adjective

Did you know?

Interdict and interdiction are used for very serious prohibitions—more serious than, say, a professor telling the class that texting is forbidden during lectures. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, an interdict was a sentence imposed by the powerful Catholic Church forbidding a person or place, and sometimes even an entire country, from receiving church privileges or participating in church functions. Interdict now often means "cut off" in a physically forceful way as well; interdictions are usually targeted at either arms supplies or illegal drug shipments.

Choose the Right Synonym for interdict

forbid, prohibit, interdict, inhibit mean to debar one from doing something or to order that something not be done.

forbid implies that the order is from one in authority and that obedience is expected.

smoking is forbidden in the building

prohibit suggests the issuing of laws, statutes, or regulations.

prohibited the sale of liquor

interdict implies prohibition by civil or ecclesiastical authority usually for a given time or a declared purpose.

practices interdicted by the church

inhibit implies restraints or restrictions that amount to prohibitions, not only by authority but also by the exigencies of the time or situation.

conditions inhibiting the growth of free trade

Example Sentences

Noun the church's controversial interdict against the use of birth control devices Verb the state legislature moved to interdict the use of radar-detection devices by motorists federal agents are able to interdict only a small percentage of the narcotic shipments into the country

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

While the effort to interdict migrants, including traffickers in fentanyl, continues, another topic Texas is only slowly beginning to discuss is how to make more widely available some potentially life-saving devices – fentanyl test strips. —

Dallas News, 28 Apr. 2022 Environmental and community groups in South Africa's Eastern Cape province won an urgent interdict to stop the surveys in December last year and are now asking the court to permanently halt the operations. —

Mogomotsi Magome, ajc, 2 June 2022 South African Revenue Service Commissioner Tom Moyane will seek a legal interdict against Cyril Ramaphosa if the president does not stop trying to remove him from the tax agency, according to people familiar with the matter. —

Paul Vecchiatto, Bloomberg.com, 19 Mar. 2018

Verb

After billions of dollars spent fortifying the Southern border, the two governments still interdict only a fraction of the drugs shipped to the United States. —

Tim Golden, New York Times, 8 Dec. 2022 The inspections were meant to interdict people and drug smuggling. —

Dallas News, 21 Apr. 2022 Law enforcement can interdict shipments and imprison dealers, but the success is invariably short-lived. —

Keith Kloor, Discover Magazine, 29 Mar. 2010 After billions of dollars spent fortifying the southern border, the two governments still interdict only a fraction of the drugs shipped to the United States. —

Tim Golden, ProPublica, 8 Dec. 2022 Barr wanted to quicken the pace of extraditions of Mexican traffickers, do more to disrupt their finances and intensify efforts with the Mexican Navy to interdict drug shipments at sea. —

Tim Golden, New York Times, 8 Dec. 2022 That would give Chinese authorities the option to interdict some vessels while allowing supplies of food, for example, to go through. —

Charles Hutzler, WSJ, 4 Aug. 2022 The ability to counteract and interdict any military equipment that involves electronic communication or GPS positioning would be central to any such mission -- and without overstepping any national boundaries. —

David A. Andelman, CNN, 21 July 2022 The Russians eventually caught on to the Ukrainians’ flight profiles and began positioning SAMs to interdict the Mariupol resupply missions, shooting down several helicopters and compelling Kyiv to halt the flights. —

David Axe, Forbes, 24 June 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'interdict.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, alteration of entredite, from Anglo-French, from Latin interdictum prohibition, from neuter of interdictus, past participle of interdicere to interpose, forbid, from inter- + dicere to say — more at diction

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of interdict was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Interdict.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interdict. Accessed 31 Jan. 2023.

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Kids Definition

interdict

1 of 2 noun

in·ter·dict ˈint-ər-ˌdikt

: a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical withdrawal of sacraments and Christian burial from a person or district

: prohibition sense 2

interdict

2 of 2 verb

in·ter·dict ˌint-ər-ˈdikt

: to prohibit or forbid especially by an interdict

interdiction

-ˈdik-shən

noun

Medical Definition

interdict

noun

in·ter·dict ˈint-ər-ˌdikt

civil law

: one who has been determined to be incompetent to care for his or her own person or affairs (as by reason of mental incapacity)

Legal Definition

interdict

1 of 2 noun

in·ter·dict ˈin-tər-ˌdikt

: something that prohibits

: one that has been interdicted compare ward

interdict

2 of 2 transitive verb

in·ter·dict ˌin-tər-ˈdikt

in the civil law of Louisiana : to deprive (a person) of the right to care for one's own person or affairs because of mental incapacity compare commit, curator, tutor

: to authoritatively prohibit or bar (an act or conduct)

: to intercept or cut off (as a drug shipment) by force