interdict

American  

[in-ter-dikt, in-ter-dikt] / ˈɪn tərˌdɪkt, ˌɪn tərˈdɪkt /

noun

1. Civil Law. any prohibitory act or decree of a court or an administrative officer.

2. 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.

3. Roman Law. a general or special order of the Roman praetor forbidding or commanding an act, especially in cases involving disputed possession.

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verb (used with object)

1. to forbid; prohibit.

2. Ecclesiastical. to cut off authoritatively from certain ecclesiastical functions and privileges.

3. to impede by steady bombardment.

   Constant air attacks interdicted the enemy's advance.

interdict British  

noun

1. RC Church the exclusion of a person or all persons in a particular place from certain sacraments and other benefits, although not from communion

2. civil law any order made by a court or official prohibiting an act

3. Scots law an order having the effect of an injunction

4. Roman history

   1. an order of a praetor commanding or forbidding an act

   2. the procedure by which this order was sought

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verb

1. to place under legal or ecclesiastical sanction; prohibit; forbid

2. military to destroy (an enemy's lines of communication) by firepower

Other Word Forms

• interdictive adjective
• interdictively adverb
• interdictor noun
• uninterdicted adjective

Etymology

Origin of interdict

First recorded in 1250–1300; (noun) from Latin interdictum “prohibition,” noun use of neuter of interdictus, past participle of interdīcere “to forbid,” equivalent to inter- “between, among, together” + -dic- (variant stem of dīcere “to speak”) + -tus past participle suffix; replacing Middle English enterdit, from Old French, from Latin, as above; (verb) from Latin interdictus; replacing Middle English enterditen, from Old French entredire (past participle entredit ), from Latin, as above; inter-

Example Sentences

It’s easier to interdict and harder to preserve the logistics that support troops at the front.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 5, 2025

He later explained that he was using a definition employed by the Border Patrol that defines “operational control” as “the ability to detect, respond and interdict border penetrations in areas deemed as high priority.”

From New York Times • Jan. 31, 2024

A Border Patrol boat sat in the river observing the people but never attempting to interdict, question them or try to block them from coming.

From Washington Times • Dec. 19, 2023

He donated 500 acres of open land in Riverside County to a sanctuary for donkeys and gave $5 million to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to purchase a ship used to interdict in whaling operations.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 26, 2023

Vanquished by Trivulzio, general of the French, he excommunicates Louis XII. lays France under an interdict, and endeavours to arm England against her.

From The Power Of The Popes by Daunou, Pierre Claude Fran?ois