Standard Lemma guide

prohibit

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /pɹəˈhɪbɪt/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /pɹəʊˈhɪbɪt/
  • Canada, General-American: /pɹoʊˈhɪbɪt/
  • Canada, General-American: /pɹəˈhɪbət/
  • California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪbɪt
  • CMU ARPABET: P R OW0 HH IH1 B AH0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To forbid, disallow, or proscribe officially; to make illegal or illicit.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The restaurant prohibits smoking on the patio.
  • I was prohibited to come.
  • Crossing the border without permission is prohibited.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ban, disallow, forbid, proscribe, veto

Antonyms: allow, authorize, permit

2

verb

Meaning 2

command against

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • I forbid you to call me late at night
  • Mother vetoed the trip to the chocolate store
  • Dad nixed our plans

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: forbid, interdict, proscribe, veto, disallow, nix

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: command, require

Narrower terms: ban, bar, debar, exclude, enjoin, outlaw, criminalize, criminalise, illegalize, illegalise

History

Etymology

From Middle English prohibiten, from Latin prohibeō (“to fend off, prevent, prohibit”) (through past participle prohibitus).

Across languages

Translations

70 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مَنَعَ (manaʕa) — to proscribe officially
  • Belarusian: забараня́ць (zabaranjácʹ) — to proscribe officially
  • Belarusian: забарані́ць (zabaranícʹ) — to proscribe officially
  • Bulgarian: забранявам (zabranjavam) — to proscribe officially
  • Catalan: prohibir — to proscribe officially
  • Chinese Mandarin: 禁止 (jìnzhǐ) — to proscribe officially
  • Chinese Mandarin: 阻止 (zǔzhǐ) — to proscribe officially
  • Cornish: difen — to proscribe officially
  • Czech: zakazovat — to proscribe officially
  • Czech: zakázat — to proscribe officially
  • Dutch: verbieden — to proscribe officially
  • Esperanto: malpermesi — to proscribe officially
  • Fataluku: pacu — to proscribe officially
  • Finnish: kieltää — to proscribe officially
  • French: interdire — to proscribe officially
  • French: prohiber — to proscribe officially
  • Galician: prohibir — to proscribe officially
  • Galician: banir — to proscribe officially
  • Galician: enfensar — to proscribe officially
  • Galician: devedar — to proscribe officially
  • Galician: coutar — to proscribe officially
  • Galician: toller — to proscribe officially
  • Galician: privar — to proscribe officially
  • Galician: entredicir — to proscribe officially
  • German: verbieten — to proscribe officially
  • Greek: απαγορεύω (apagorévo) — to proscribe officially
  • Hungarian: megtilt — to proscribe officially
  • Hungarian: tilt — to proscribe officially
  • Indonesian: melarang — to proscribe officially
  • Irish: urghair — to proscribe officially
  • Irish: coisc — to proscribe officially
  • Italian: proibire — to proscribe officially
  • Italian: impedire — to proscribe officially
  • Italian: ostacolare — to proscribe officially
  • Italian: vietare — to proscribe officially
  • Japanese: 禁じる (kinjiru) — to proscribe officially
  • Japanese: 禁止する (kinshi suru) — to proscribe officially
  • Korean: 금하다 (geumhada) — to proscribe officially
  • Latin: prohibeō — to proscribe officially
  • Latin: interdīcō — to proscribe officially
  • Latin: vetō — to proscribe officially
  • Latvian: aizliegt — to proscribe officially
  • Luxembourgish: verbidden — to proscribe officially
  • Makasae: bandu — to proscribe officially
  • Malay: mengharamkan — to proscribe officially
  • Malayalam: നിരോധിക്കുക (nirōdhikkuka) — to proscribe officially
  • Malayalam: വിലക്കുക (vilakkuka) — to proscribe officially
  • Māori: rāhui — to proscribe officially
  • Māori: whakamanakore — to proscribe officially
  • Norwegian Bokmål: forby — to proscribe officially
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: forby — to proscribe officially
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: forbyde — to proscribe officially
  • Old English: forbēodan — to proscribe officially
  • Polish: zakazywać — to proscribe officially
  • Polish: zakazać — to proscribe officially
  • Portuguese: proibir — to proscribe officially
  • Quechua: amatay — to proscribe officially
  • Romanian: interzice — to proscribe officially
  • Russian: запреща́ть (zapreščátʹ) — to proscribe officially
  • Russian: запрети́ть (zapretítʹ) — to proscribe officially
  • Serbo-Croatian: забрањи́вати — to proscribe officially
  • Serbo-Croatian: забра́нити — to proscribe officially
  • Serbo-Croatian: zabranjívati — to proscribe officially
  • Serbo-Croatian: zabrániti — to proscribe officially
  • Spanish: prohibir — to proscribe officially
  • Swedish: förbjuda — to proscribe officially
  • Tetum: bandu — to proscribe officially
  • Thai: ห้าม (hâam) — to proscribe officially
  • Ukrainian: забороня́ти (zaboronjáty) — to proscribe officially
  • Ukrainian: заборони́ти (zaboronýty) — to proscribe officially