prohibit
Americanverb (used with object)
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prohibits,
present (3rd person singular)
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prohibited,
past participle, past
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prohibiting
present participle
verb
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to forbid by law or other authority
-
to hinder or prevent
Usage
What’s the difference between prohibit and inhibit? Prohibit most commonly means to forbid or disallow, but it can also mean what inhibit usually means—to prevent or hinder. Inhibit can also mean to forbid, but this use is much less common. Prohibit is most commonly used in the context of rules, especially official ones like laws. The speed limit prohibits you from going above a certain speed. Parents might prohibit their kids from eating candy before dinner, but the word forbid is more commonly used in cases like this. Inhibit, on the other hand, is usually used in the context of things that prevent or hinder what someone is trying to do. Speed bumps are designed to inhibit speeding. A leg injury can inhibit your ability to walk. The meaning of prohibit and inhibit most often overlaps in cases when something is inhibited to the point of almost not being able to happen at all, as in This cast is designed to prohibit movement (prohibit could be replaced with inhibit in this sentence without much or any change in meaning). The adjective form inhibited is often used to indicate that someone or something is held back from full potential. When it’s applied to a person, it usually involves a mental, emotional, or psychological block, as in I feel less inhibited around my new group of friends—they accept me for who I am. The adjective prohibited describes something that’s forbidden, as in The sign lists all of the prohibited activities. Here’s an example of prohibit and inhibit used correctly in the same sentence. Example: To inhibit the acceleration of climate change, we must prohibit any increase in fossil fuel emissions. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between inhibit and prohibit.
Synonym Usage
See forbid.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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prohibitsimple
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prohibitssimple
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have prohibitedperfect
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has prohibitedperfect
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am prohibitingprogressive
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are prohibitingprogressive
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is prohibitingprogressive
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have been prohibitingperfect progressive
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has been prohibitingperfect progressive
Past
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prohibitedsimple
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had prohibitedperfect
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was prohibitingprogressive
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were prohibitingprogressive
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had been prohibitingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of prohibit
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin prohibitus, past participle of prohibēre “to hold before, hold back, hinder, forbid,” equivalent to pro- pro- 1 + -hibēre, combining form of habēre “to have, hold”; see habit 1
Explanation
If a sign says "Swimming Prohibited," don't go for a dip. It's not allowed. To prohibit is to forbid, or to disallow something. In school, you are prohibited from leaving the premises before the end of the school day. The school administration also prohibits smoking and chewing gum. In 1920, it became illegal to sell alcohol in the United States. This time period when alcohol was prohibited is known as the era of Prohibition. Famously Prohibition did not work. When you prohibit something, you often make it seem more appealing.
Vocabulary lists containing prohibit
The Bill of Rights
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List 14
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The First Amendment of the US Constitution
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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.
See Examples For:
Instagram’s terms of service prohibit intellectual property violations, spam, illegal content, hate speech, bullying and abuse, self-injury, graphic violence and inappropriate imagery that may include nudity or sexual content.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
The new agreement is expected to make U.S. access permanent and prohibit adversarial nations from establishing bases there.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
The practice has alarmed de la Espriella’s political opponents and human-rights groups, who accuse him of displaying the dead as trophies and violating international rules that prohibit desecrating those killed in operations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
TikTok said its policies prohibit content that could cause significant physical harm, including dangerous driving.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
When the Japanese prohibit Filipinos from gathering in groups, churches organize resistance meetings inside chapels under the guise of worship.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Federal law prohibits employers from discriminating based on characteristics such as race, color, religion, sex and national origin as well as age and disabilities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
And it was then too late to make any changes, because federal law prohibits anyone from being named as primary beneficiary without the spouse’s consent.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
Buenos Aires argues that the arrangement breaches Argentine law, which prohibits the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons on its continental shelf without government authorization.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
The FCC also notes that federal law prohibits the agency from censoring broadcast material.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
“You know how old-fashioned my father-in-law is, Pernilla. He prohibits French, no matter how much I implore him. You are so fortunate to have an understanding husband. Do your sons study French as well?”
From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Just before he appeared on stage, filming and photography was prohibited, a marked difference from previous years.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
Cupcakes and candy were once prohibited at the Manhattan preschool where Miral Sattar, a growth strategist and kids’ podcaster, sent her three children.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
One researcher investigating AI’s effects on children has expressed concerns of “cognitive stunting” — critical thinking skills prohibited from developing, just as physical growth can be stymied by malnutrition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
The agency has also prohibited some other uses and imposed workplace protections for others.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026
There are a number of items that are prohibited.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
Former Heisman-winning QB Jayden Daniels issues cease-and-desist letter to LSU prohibiting the school from using his name, image and likeness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
The local suppression of abolitionist mail persisted throughout the antebellum era during the administrations of Jackson’s eight successors, none of whom enforced the federal statute prohibiting detention of the mail.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026
Judge William Sullivan, who is overseeing the Clancy trial, has an order specifically prohibiting the photographing or filming of jurors.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
MLB added a regulation in 2023 expliciting prohibiting that kind of behavior.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
“I believe,” concluded Scott, “if Congress should at any time be of the opinion that a state of slavery was a quality inadmissible in America, they would not be barred...of prohibiting this baneful quality.”
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
