prohibitive

American  

[proh-hib-i-tiv] / proʊˈhɪb ɪ tɪv /

Also prohibitory

adjective

1. serving or tending to prohibit or forbid something.

   We will discuss some of the discriminatory, prohibitive legislation that was undone by the Civil Rights Act.

2. sufficing to prevent the use, purchase, etc., of something.

   prohibitive prices.

3. having so great a likelihood of success that others vying for the same thing are essentially prevented from succeeding.

   Political analysts are largely in agreement over who the party’s prohibitive nominee is.

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prohibitive British  

/ -trɪ, prəˈhɪbɪtɪv, prəˈhɪbɪtərɪ /

adjective

1. prohibiting or tending to prohibit

2. (esp of prices) tending or designed to discourage sale or purchase

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Other Word Forms

• nonprohibitive adjective
• nonprohibitively adverb
• prohibitively adverb
• prohibitiveness noun
• unprohibitive adjective
• unprohibitively adverb

Etymology

Origin of prohibitive

First recorded in 1400–50; from Medieval Latin prohibitīvus; prohibit, -ive

Example Sentences

But his salary proved prohibitive and he stayed, eventually becoming an example to others of how a player can turn their situation around with hard work and commitment.

From BBC

For most households, the ongoing costs of supporting a large family remain prohibitive.

From MarketWatch

Greenland’s rare-earth reserves are actually lower than the U.S.’s and its harsh geography makes recovery prohibitive.

From The Wall Street Journal

The lack of a prohibitive front-runner signals opportunity.

From Los Angeles Times

The celebrations required that one student, selected randomly, bake a cake in honor of the nation’s authoritarian ruler — a task requiring time and resources prohibitive to much of the population.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• excessive
• exorbitant
• preposterous
• steep