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 fee won’t apply to current visa holders, and exemptions may be requested, but rural districts say the cost is still prohibitive. —Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025

The cost of college was prohibitive, and many Native American students were also not adequately prepared for college in high school. —Cynthia Lindquist, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2025

Kirkland Grass-Fed Butter If stocking up on Kerrygold feels cost prohibitive, consider adding Kirkland’s Grass-Fed Butter to your cart. —Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025

Thanks to a groundbreaking agreement last summer, Anythink and its Rocky Mountain peers can now get around those prohibitive licensing costs. —Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025

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