forbidden

[ fer-bid-n, fawr- ]

verb

1. a past participle of forbid.

adjective

1. not allowed; prohibited:

   a forbidden food in his religion.

2. Physics. involving a change in quantum numbers that is not permitted by the selection rules:

   forbidden transition.

forbidden

/ fəˈbɪdən /

adjective

1. not permitted by order or law
2. physics involving a change in quantum numbers that is not permitted by certain rules derived from quantum mechanics, esp rules for changes in the electrical dipole moment of the system

Usage

It was formerly considered incorrect to talk of forbidding someone from doing something, but in modern usage either from or to can be used: he was forbidden from entering/to enter the building

Other Words From

• for·bidden·ly adverb
• for·bidden·ness noun
• prefor·bidden adjective
• self-for·bidden adjective
• unfor·bidden adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of forbidden¹

First recorded in 1200–50, for the adjective

Example Sentences

The highway crossed two huge rivers that looked like seas, gas stations, McDonald’s, hotels, hospitals, and hundreds of billboards that bombarded me with forbidden culinary delights.

From Washington Blade

It is a forbidden luxury that simply does not fit into the most basics of living.

From Washington Blade

In the House bill, the tax benefits would only be stripped from the part of the account involved in the forbidden transaction.

From ProPublica

They made me take off my shoes, which they thoroughly checked for any forbidden items.

From Washington Blade

The forbidden love story is the selling point, but the mysteries around witches, vampires and demons give it a highbrow veneer.

From Time

It was forbidden to be eaten, and seen as having powers that beat back “demons and sorcerers” as well as “misfortune.”

From The Daily Beast

Like Lent, the season of Advent was a period of reflection and fasting, and items such as dairy and sugar were forbidden.

From The Daily Beast

Astrology and black magic are forbidden in Islam; not an obscure point and one that Monis likely knew.

From The Daily Beast

So the master artist traveled to Beijing and shot in a former palace not far from the Forbidden City.

From The Daily Beast

“It is forbidden in Islam to ignore the reality of contemporary times when deriving legal rulings,” they argued.

From The Daily Beast

I shipped for a voyage to Japan and China, and spent several more years trying to penetrate the forbidden fastnesses of Tibet.

From Project Gutenberg

Though, as everybody well knew, the doctor had forbidden her to lift so much as a pin!

From Project Gutenberg

Even then the Prime Minister was with difficulty prevented from bowling during forbidden hours.

From Project Gutenberg

By an Act passed in the 4th of William and Mary foreign buttons made of hair were forbidden to be imported.

From Project Gutenberg

In the same year he also manufactured two million penny tokens for our soldiers in Spain, which were not forbidden.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• outlawed
• prohibited