forbidden
adjective
for·bid·den
fər-ˈbi-dᵊn 
fȯr-
1
: not permitted or allowed
2
: not conforming to the usual selection principles
—used of quantum phenomena
forbidden transition
forbidden radiation
forbidden spectral line
Examples of forbidden in a Sentence
trespassing is forbidden
Recent Examples on the Web
Waiting was something forbidden.
—
Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
The best places to hunt for forbidden titles were other people’s bookshelves, but this one was hard to find even there.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
The forbidden readings came from Plato, the Athenian philosopher whose work is widely regarded as an important basis for Western thought over more than two millennia.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 12 Jan. 2026
These range from the pages being discolored by demonic forces, or that the pages once contained forbidden texts, now removed.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forbidden
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
The best places to hunt for forbidden titles were other people’s bookshelves, but this one was hard to find even there.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
The forbidden readings came from Plato, the Athenian philosopher whose work is widely regarded as an important basis for Western thought over more than two millennia.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 12 Jan. 2026
These range from the pages being discolored by demonic forces, or that the pages once contained forbidden texts, now removed.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forbidden
Cite this Entry
“Forbidden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forbidden. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
