prohibit Meaning, Definition & Usage

verb command against
forbid; proscribe; disallow; veto; nix; interdict.
- I forbid you to call me late at night
- Mother vetoed the trip to the chocolate store
- Dad nixed our plans

L. prohibitus, p. p. of prohibere to prohibit; pro before, forth + habere to have, hold. See Habit.

imperfect & past participle Prohibited; present participle & verbal noun Prohibiting

To forbid by authority; to interdict; as, God prohibited Adam from eating of the fruit of a certain tree; we prohibit a person from doing a thing, and also the doing of the thing; as, the law prohibits men from stealing, or it prohibits stealing. ✍ Prohibit was formerly followed by to with the infinitive, but is now commonly followed by from with the verbal noun in -ing.
To hinder; to debar; to prevent; to preclude.
Gates of burning adamant, Barred over us, prohibit all egress. Milton.
Syn. -- To forbid; interdict; debar; prevent; hinder. -- Prohibit, Forbid. To forbid is Anglo-Saxon, and is more familiar; to prohibit is Latin, and is more formal or official. A parent forbids his child to be out late at night; he prohibits his intercourse with the profane and vicious.