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:
TikTok's policies prohibit content that "could lead to physical harm", and the company has removed videos identified by BBC Verify.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
U.S. hacking laws prohibit individuals and companies from launching cyberattacks.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
In the hardest-hit cities, several buildings were marked with a red "X" to warn of the risk of collapse and prohibit pedestrian access.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
The Clarity Act has stalled, driven in part by disagreements over ethics language that would prohibit government officials from profiting off digital assets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
While he thought the Constitution was crystal clear that Congress could not restrict or terminate the slave trade before 1808, it did not prohibit the members of the House from talking about the issue.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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
California, which has some of the nation’s strictest gun laws, largely prohibits possession of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a K-12 school under the Gun-Free School Zone Act of 1995.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Federal law prohibits the FCC from censoring broadcasters, and the First Amendment sharply limits the government’s ability to punish news organizations for their editorial decisions.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
The following year, Mexico forbids further American colonization of Texas and prohibits the importation of more slaves into the territory.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
International commercial trade in orangutans is prohibited under Cites - the global agreement governing trade in endangered wildlife.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
The agency has also prohibited some other uses and imposed workplace protections for others.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026
The vessels are prohibited to approach the exclusion zone of three kilometres radius from the volcano, local port authorities said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026
Bakewell Jr. was identified as a prohibited contributor in a contract Bass signed with Brotherhood Crusade in 2023 for about $141,000.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
The criminal label is essential, for forms of explicit racial exclusion are not only prohibited but widely condemned.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
The judge also imposed indefinite non-harassment orders prohibiting the pair from contacting their victim in any way.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
The Permanent Court of Arbitration, based in The Hague in the Netherlands, also made an order "prohibiting" India from carrying out works at two hydroelectric projects that could breach the 1960 Indus Water Treaty.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
State laws on the subject vary considerably, with some prohibiting commercial surrogacy and others liberally permitting it and even issuing parentage orders before birth.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
When it comes to elections, most states have laws prohibiting election betting in some form or fashion, according to a Pew Research Center analysis released in June.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
The fourth was a gesture toward the northern interests, authorizing Congress to levy a tax on slave imports designed to discourage the practice without prohibiting it.
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.
