disbar

D2I1S1B3A1R1
UK/dɪsˈbɑː(ɹ)/

verb

To expel from the bar, or the legal profession; to deprive (an attorney, barrister, or counselor) of his or her status and privileges as such.

OriginEnglish bar ← Middle English barre ← Old French barre →
Scrabble 9
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Meanings

verbdisbar (third-person singular simple present disbars, present participle disbarring, simple past and past participle disbarred)

present singular third person disbars · participle present disbarring · participle past disbarred · past disbarred

  1. transitivelawTo expel from the bar, or the legal profession; to deprive (an attorney, barrister, or counselor) of his or her status and privileges as such.
  2. transitiveTo exclude (a person) from something.

    The friends of Holmes have been criticising the action of the board in disbarring him on the ground that it was too severe […]

    1896, “Two More Disbarred: Bloomingston and Lowney Out of College Athletics; Action Taken by Board of Control Last Night”, in Detroit Free Press, page 6

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  2. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
  3. Proto-Indo-European*d(w)is-
  4. Proto-Italic*dis-
  5. Latindis-
  6. Old Frenchdes-
  7. Latindis-
  8. Middle Englishdis-
  9. Englishdis-
  10. Vulgar Latin*barra
  11. Old Frenchbarre
  12. Middle Englishbarre
  13. Englishbar
  14. Englishdisbar

From dis- + bar.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch de toegang ontzegd tot de balie
  • de toegang ontzegd tot de balieto expel from the bar, or the legal profession
Finnish erottaa asianajajan virasta, erottaa Asianajajaliitosta
  • erottaa asianajajan virastato expel from the bar, or the legal profession
  • erottaa Asianajajaliitostato expel from the bar, or the legal profession
German die Zulassung entziehen, die Anwaltslizenz entziehen
  • die Zulassung entziehento expel from the bar, or the legal profession
  • die Anwaltslizenz entziehento expel from the bar, or the legal profession
Irish díbharraigh
  • díbharraighto expel from the bar, or the legal profession

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with disbar

areourtheirrcarstarmarfarbarguitarvaravatarcharpartarQatarMyanmarjarcigarcarrnoirharomardar
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

disbar. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disbar

MLA

“disbar.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disbar. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “disbar,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disbar.

Source: disbar on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.