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:
Proposition 42 would prohibit new taxes on “retirement holdings, individually-owned assets, and other forms of personal savings.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
China's top economic planning body decreed in a statement in April that it would "prohibit the foreign investment" in the Manus deal and "requires the parties involved to withdraw the acquisition transaction".
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
Back in 2021, activists had successfully lobbied the state of New Jersey to prohibit municipal and county governments as well as private facilities from entering into new contracts with ICE to house immigration detainees.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
Snap did not go so far as to try and prohibit all AI-generated content from Snapchat.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Therefore, it is hereby declared to be the policy of the city to prohibit noise disturbances from all sources.’”
From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone
Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of religion, race, sex and national origin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Today Title IX, the 1972 civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in education programs receiving federal money, has transformed women’s and girls’ athletics.
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026
In Arizona, for example, “state law prohibits our department from a role overseeing private schools,” a spokesperson for the state Department of Education told ProPublica.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
His surname is not being used due to German law, which prohibits naming suspects at this stage.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
I’m just hoping there’s an amendment somewhere in the Constitution that prohibits the FBI from stealing my collection of hardcover fantasy novels.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Drones meeting the thresholds can be exported without a license to most destinations except sanctioned or embargoed countries and certain prohibited end users.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Such institutions were created to provide higher education to disenfranchised African Americans, who were otherwise prohibited from attending most colleges.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
The property replied that it was prepared to welcome him, noting he could post content after the media exclusivity window, but filming public spaces was prohibited and filming private spaces required approval.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Some have questioned whether those arrangements are legal or even constitutional; they could be regarded as export taxes or duties, which are specifically prohibited by the Constitution, according to the Tax Policy Center.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Alabama's state constitution still prohibited the practice in 1986 when Walter met Karen Kelly.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
The group said the investigation should examine whether Carr and Trusty broke rules on accepting gifts or broke criminal laws prohibiting federal officials from accepting illegal gratuities.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
In March, Greer’s office opened a tariff investigation into 60 economies it accused of not prohibiting the use of forced labor in supply chains.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Brussels could take a risk-based approach, prohibiting features it views as harmful rather than banning platforms like Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
The pair were also handed a lifelong restraining order prohibiting them from contacting the victims.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
In Utah, there were no laws prohibiting either activity, except among novice drivers.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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.
