prohibit

[ proh-hib-it ]

/ proʊˈhɪb ɪt /

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verb (used with object)

to forbid (an action, activity, etc.) by authority or law: Smoking is prohibited here.

to forbid the action of (a person).

to prevent; hinder.

Nearby words

progressive systemic sclerosis, progressive tax, progressive vaccinia, progressive-resistance exercise, progressivism, prohibit, prohibition, prohibition party, prohibitionist, prohibitive, prohibitory

Origin of prohibit

1400–50; late Middle English < 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 habit¹

SYNONYMS FOR prohibit

1 interdict. See forbid.

3 obstruct.

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ANTONYMS FOR prohibit

1 permit.

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Related forms

pro·hib·it·er, pro·hib·i·tor, nounun·pro·hib·it·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for prohibit

At that point, the Library of Congress can once again decide to prohibit consumers from unlocking their cell phones.
Nazis, Sunscreen, and Sea Gull Eggs: Congress in 2014 Was Hella Productive|Ben Jacobs|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
No problem—Congress is about to prohibit us from buying them.
Why Does the USA Depend on Russian Rockets to Get Us Into Space?|P. J. O’Rourke|June 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His first demand was that the country's official constitution be rewritten to prohibit extradition.
Pablo Escobar’s Private Prison Is Now Run by Monks for Senior Citizens|Jeff Campagna|June 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And the health law might not prohibit it, opening a door to potential erosion of employer-based coverage.
Hold On to Your Health Care|Kaiser Health News|May 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST

And yet Louisiana does not prohibit a far stranger peccadillo: sex with corpses.
Our Dumb Puritan Laws: Sex Bans and Illegal Adultery|Kevin Bleyer|April 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Does not the command, "Thou shalt not steal," prohibit kidnapping?
An Appeal in Favor of that Class of Americans Called Africans|Lydia Maria Child
The law ought to prohibit only such actions as are injurious to society.
Dr. Stearns's Tour from London to Paris|Samuel Stearns
However, as it was important to ascertain whether any remained, my father did not prohibit him from carrying out his intention.
With Axe and Rifle|W.H.G. Kingston
The insurance companies were obliged in self-defence to prohibit their use in insured buildings.
Natural and Artificial Duck Culture|James Rankin
It fully recognizes the power of that body to prohibit the trade in slaves between a territory and the states.
The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Omnibus|American Anti-Slavery Society

British Dictionary definitions for prohibit

prohibit

/ (prəˈhɪbɪt) /

verb (tr)

to forbid by law or other authority

to hinder or prevent

Derived Forms

prohibiter or prohibitor, noun

Word Origin for prohibit

C15: from Latin prohibēre to prevent, from pro- 1 + habēre to hold

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

prohibit

verb (used with object)

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Nearby words

Origin of prohibit

SYNONYMS FOR prohibit

ANTONYMS FOR prohibit

Related forms

Examples from the Web for prohibit

British Dictionary definitions for prohibit

prohibit

verb (tr)

Derived Forms

Word Origin for prohibit