prohibitive

adjective

pro·​hib·​i·​tive prō-ˈhi-bə-tiv 

prə-

1

: tending to prohibit or restrain

2

: tending to preclude use or purchase

prohibitive costs

3

: almost certain to perform as predicted

a prohibitive favorite

prohibitively adverb

prohibitiveness noun

Examples of prohibitive in a Sentence

the prohibitive cost of rent

Recent Examples on the Web

The prohibitive costs of designer dorms, of course, mean that wealthy students are at an advantage. — Alexis Benveniste, Architectural Digest, 28 Sep. 2026

The measure is designed not to eliminate environmental protections but to counter the bureaucratic delays and lengthy lawsuits that slow development projects in the state and drive up construction costs to often prohibitive levels, backers say. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Preventive maintenance at a scale that was previously cost-prohibitive. — Sumeet Salwan, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Skechers Endeavour Sneaker If a $300 price tag is a bit prohibitive to you right now, here’s a wallet-sparing alternative, in the form of the Skechers Endeavour. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for prohibitive

• inhibitive

Kids Definition

prohibitive

adjective

pro·​hib·​i·​tive prō-ˈhib-ət-iv 

: likely to discourage use or purchase

prohibitive prices

prohibitively adverb