transitive verb
Definition 1
Prohibit, interdict (thing).
Source: Concise Oxford Dictionary
Context: It is true that the 17th-century Ottoman sultan Murat IV banned smoking. But his subjects are still among the highest tobacco consumers.
Source: Financial Times 25/07/2009 (letter to the editor from Mr Nuri Akgul)
Definition 2
Prohibit (person from doing thing).
Source: Invertext from Concise Oxford Dictionary
Context: "If you ban someone from advertising their product, that is quite a serious remedy," he [Richard Croft] says.
Source: Financial Times 14/12/2004 (Gary Silverman)