prohibition
noun
pro·hi·bi·tion
ˌprō-ə-ˈbi-shən 
also
ˌprō-hə-
1
: the act of prohibiting by authority
2
: an order to restrain or stop
3
often Prohibition
: the forbidding by law of the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcoholic liquors except for medicinal and sacramental purposes
Examples of prohibition in a Sentence
the city's prohibition of smoking in restaurants
a prohibition against parking on the street
Recent Examples on the Web
The study authors recommend safe storage laws and domestic violence firearm prohibitions.
—
Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025
No prohibition had been announced, but they would never be allowed to join a guild.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
In Margaret Atwood’s chilling dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, the founders of the Republic of Gilead legislate a blanket prohibition on women’s employment and the seizure of their personal savings.
—Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
The complaints allege that the legislators violated a state constitutional prohibition on accepting gifts of more than $75 when the caucus’s leader sought — and received — a $25,000 donation from One Main Street to cover hotel rooms at a private caucus retreat last month in Vail.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prohibition
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Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025
No prohibition had been announced, but they would never be allowed to join a guild.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
In Margaret Atwood’s chilling dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, the founders of the Republic of Gilead legislate a blanket prohibition on women’s employment and the seizure of their personal savings.
—Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
The complaints allege that the legislators violated a state constitutional prohibition on accepting gifts of more than $75 when the caucus’s leader sought — and received — a $25,000 donation from One Main Street to cover hotel rooms at a private caucus retreat last month in Vail.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prohibition
Cite this Entry
“Prohibition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prohibition. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prohibition
noun
pro·hi·bi·tion
ˌprō-ə-ˈbish-ən
1
: the act of prohibiting
2
: an order forbidding something
3
often capitalized
: the forbidding by law of the sale and manufacture of alcoholic beverages
Legal Definition
prohibition
noun
pro·hi·bi·tion
ˌprō-ə-ˈbi-shən
1
a
: an extraordinary writ issued by a higher court commanding an inferior court to keep within its proper jurisdiction (as by ceasing a prosecution)
b
: an order to refrain or stop
2
a
: something (as a law) that prohibits a certain act or procedure
b
capitalized
: the period from 1920 to 1933 in the U.S. when the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcoholic liquors was prohibited by the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
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