forbid

for·bid | \ fər-ˈbid

How to pronounce forbid (audio)

, fȯr-\

forbade\ fər-ˈbad

How to pronounce forbade (audio)

, -ˈbād , fȯr-

How to pronounce forbade (audio)

\ also forbad\ fər-ˈbad

How to pronounce forbad (audio)

, fȯr- \; forbidden\ fər-ˈbi-dᵊn

How to pronounce forbidden (audio)

, fȯr- \; forbidding

Definition of forbid

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to proscribe (see proscribe sense 2) from or as if from the position of one in authority : command against The law forbids stores to sell liquor to minors. Her mother forbids her to go.

2 : to hinder or prevent as if by an effectual command Space forbids further treatment here. Modesty forbids telling what my part was in the affair.

forbid

Definition of forbid (Entry 2 of 2)

archaic

: accursed he shall live a man forbid— William Shakespeare

Other Words from forbid Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about forbid

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Choose the Right Synonym for forbid

Verb

forbid, prohibit, interdict, inhibit mean to debar one from doing something or to order that something not be done. forbid implies that the order is from one in authority and that obedience is expected. smoking is forbidden in the building prohibit suggests the issuing of laws, statutes, or regulations. prohibited the sale of liquor interdict implies prohibition by civil or ecclesiastical authority usually for a given time or a declared purpose. practices interdicted by the church inhibit implies restraints or restrictions that amount to prohibitions, not only by authority but also by the exigencies of the time or situation. conditions inhibiting the growth of free trade

Examples of forbid in a Sentence

Verb I forbid you to go! She was forbidden by her parents to marry him. She was forbidden from marrying him. The museum forbids flash photography. The company's rules forbid dating among employees.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The resolution says Student Body statutes forbid student money from being spent in support of or against a political party. — USA TODAY, "‘Embracing tree,’ buffalo retirement, castaway cows: News from around our 50 states," 14 Nov. 2019 McDonald's said Easterbrook violated company policy forbidding managers from having romantic relationships with direct or indirect subordinates. — Dee-ann Durbin, chicagotribune.com, "‘I want McDonald’s to recognize that they have a problem’: Workers say sexual harassment must be addressed at burger chain," 12 Nov. 2019 Google also released a set of ethical principles for its AI projects, which allow for military work but forbid weapons development. — Wired, "Can AI Built to ‘Benefit Humanity’ Also Serve the Military?," 11 Nov. 2019 For Muslims, who make up nearly 90 percent of Indonesia’s population, eating or even touching pigs is considered haram — forbidden. — BostonGlobe.com, "Indonesia wants ‘halal tourism.’ But some want to wrestle pigs. - The Boston Globe," 10 Nov. 2019 Sometimes it was encouraged, other times forbidden. — Mathieu Avanzi, Quartz, "Which cheek and how many? The origins of the other French kiss," 6 Nov. 2019 The company said the listing specifically forbid parties. — Sophie Lewis, CBS News, "Airbnb bans "party houses" following deadly Halloween party shooting," 2 Nov. 2019 While many local governments forbid the use of drones for surveillance purposes, it’s unclear whether the activities described in Amazon’s data analysis patent would fall under that definition, Holland Michel said. — Los Angeles Times, "What if a delivery drone falls on your head? Thorny legal questions loom as services increase," 22 Oct. 2019 Lawmakers failed to pass a bill forbidding the practice earlier this year. — Joshua Fechter, ExpressNews.com, "San Antonio, Bexar County officials fire back at House Speaker Bonnen over secret recording," 17 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'forbid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near forbid

Forbes-Robertson

for better or (for) worse

Statistics for forbid

Last Updated

19 Nov 2019

Time Traveler for forbid

The first known use of forbid was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for forbid

forbid

verb

English Language Learners Definition of forbid

: to order (someone) not to do something

formal : to say that (something) is not allowed

See the full definition for forbid in the English Language Learners Dictionary

forbid

for·bid | \ fər-ˈbid

\

forbade\ -ˈbad \; forbidden\ -ˈbi-dᵊn \; forbidding

Kids Definition of forbid

: to order not to do something I forbid you to go!

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expedite

to speed up the process or progress of

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