Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[nawee]

Hello,

Which is the most appropriate word to use in the following sentence?

He was accused of sexual harassment and has been [barred/banned] from teaching for ten years.

What's difference between "ban" and "bar"? Which is to "forbid officially"?

Thank you,

Nawee

[CP]

These two words can often be interchanged, but I think they carry different connotations.

When something is banned, it is forbidden, while when something or someone is barred, it is excluded, prevented from entering.

You would be more likely to ban something (say, a drug or weapons) and bar somone (say, an unruly patron).

If you ban someone from teaching, that sounds all right, and I don't think most people would complain about using "ban" rather than "bar" there. But the converse is not true. You would ban aspirin or penknives from the school, but you would not say that you bar them.

"Ban" comes from Old Norse, banna, to curse or prohibit. "Bar" derives from placing a bar (straight piece of wood or metal) across a door to keep people out.

Notice also that "banish" means to send someone away, never to return.
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