interdict

/ˈɪntɚdɪkt/

//ˈɪntɚdɪkt// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"interdict" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“interdict” is uncommon English (frequency #62,999 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#62,999
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A papal decree prohibiting the administration of the sacraments from a political entity under the power of a single person (e.g., a king or an oligarchy with similar powers). Extreme unction/Anoint...

Corpus desk

Index EN-interdict · interdict · English

interdict · rank #62,999 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #62,999
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH interrogative

Nearest frequency peer: interrogative (+2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “interdict”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “interdict” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for interdict
PropertyValue
Headwordinterdict
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɪntɚdɪkt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#62,999
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “interdict” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).interdictfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “interrogative” (#63,001), “independant” (#62,996), “intransigence” (#63,002). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “interdict” is #62,999. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

interdict is uncommon English at frequency #62,999 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɪntɚdɪkt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

interdict has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English entrediten, from Old French entredire (“forbid”), from Latin interdīcō (“prohibit, forbid”), from inter- (“between”) + dīcō (“say”), from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ-. The correct English form is interdict, spelled I-N-T-E-R-D-I-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A papal decree prohibiting the administration of the sacraments from a political entity under the power of a single person (e.g., a king or an oligarchy with similar powers). Extreme unction/Anointing of the Sick is excepted.
  2. 2
    An injunction.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how interdict appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The Fife County Council, and other objectors, were successful in July [1950] in obtaining an interim interdict against this decision, but the Court of Session withdrew the interdict in January, and it was then stated that a civil court had no jurisdiction in the matter. […] Mr. Waller adds that when the railway was authorised in 1897, one of the clauses o…
  2. In May [1995], the court issued an interdict preventing the service withdrawal, pending consultation on the closure to passenger traffic of three short stretches of railway around Glasgow and its hinterland that were only used by the Fort William Sleeper - and for which BR had failed to invoke standard closure procedures.

Etymology

From Middle English entrediten, from Old French entredire (“forbid”), from Latin interdīcō (“prohibit, forbid”), from inter- (“between”) + dīcō (“say”), from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ-.

This word in other languages

interdit(Français)Interdikt(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "interdict"?
"interdict" is spelled I-N-T-E-R-D-I-C-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪntɚdɪkt/.
What does "interdict" mean?
As a noun, "interdict" means: A papal decree prohibiting the administration of the sacraments from a political entity under the power of a single person (e.g., a king or an oligarchy with similar powers). Extreme unction/Anoint...
How do you pronounce "interdict"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "interdict" is /ˈɪntɚdɪkt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "interdict"?
From Middle English entrediten, from Old French entredire (“forbid”), from Latin interdīcō (“prohibit, forbid”), from inter- (“between”) + dīcō (“say”), from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ-. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "interdict", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

imprudent#62,993imperator#62,989Jonestown#63,012Hindmarsh#62,970

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list