Debar Someone From Doing vs. Debar Someone To Do
Oxford documents debar + person + from + -ing, commonly in the passive, for official prevention. The same entry also supports from + noun patterns, while person + to-infinitive is not the equivalent action complement.
Use “debar someone from doing something,” commonly in the passive, for the documented official-prevention construction; do not substitute “debar someone to do.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| official prevention blocks an action | debar someone from doing something | Use from + -ing. |
| official prevention blocks entry or participation in a noun activity | debar someone from + noun | The same “from” pattern can introduce a noun. |
| person + to-infinitive is proposed as the equivalent action complement | do not substitute it | The reviewed entry supports “from,” not the parallel to-infinitive. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you stating the action a person is officially prevented from performing?
If yes: Use “debar someone from doing …”.
If no: Use “from + noun” if a noun names the barred activity or status.
Caveat: The construction is often found in formal or official contexts and commonly appears in the passive; keep that register in mind.
Examples
The rules debar members from voting twice.
The action follows the documented from + -ing pattern.
She was debarred from the competition.
The “from” complement can introduce a noun.
The order debarred him from serving on the panel.
The passive form keeps the same complement pattern.
Further guidance
Boundary
Debar can also take a noun phrase after from, such as exclusion from a competition; that does not license a to-infinitive complement.
Construction
Oxford documents “be debarred from doing something” for being officially prevented from an action.
Decision
Use “debar someone from doing something,” commonly in the passive, for the documented official-prevention construction; do not substitute “debar someone to do.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- debar — Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Oxford University Press · Oxford learner-dictionary construction evidence for debar somebody from doing something