forbidden
Americanverb
adjective
-
not allowed; prohibited.
a forbidden food in his religion.
-
Physics. involving a change in quantum numbers that is not permitted by the selection rules.
forbidden transition.
adjective
-
not permitted by order or law
-
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 Word Forms
- forbiddenly adverb
- forbiddenness noun
- preforbidden adjective
- self-forbidden adjective
- unforbidden adjective
Etymology
Origin of forbidden
First recorded in 1200–50, for the adjective
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The scanned code blocks the forbidden apps until the end of the school day.
From Los Angeles Times
Spectators should remember that fires must be in professionally manufactured barbecues at least 1 foot off the ground, and tents are forbidden, Derderian said.
From Los Angeles Times
All the main characters are returning for more power struggles, business rivalries, and forbidden romances in the Cotswolds-set world of 1980s TV.
From BBC
In last spring’s world championship in Canada, for example, Chinese athletes were accused of touching a stone with a broom, kicking a stone and illegal sweeping — all forbidden acts.
From Los Angeles Times
What would prompt Metcalf, one of the NFL’s top receivers in each of his seven seasons, to lose his temper and allegedly engage with a fan in a way strictly forbidden by the league?
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
