prohibition

noun

pro·hi·bi·tion | \ ˌprō-ə-ˈbi-shən

also ˌprō-hə-

Definition of prohibition

1 : the act of prohibiting by authority

2 : an order to restrain or stop

3 often capitalized : the forbidding by law of the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcoholic liquors except for medicinal and sacramental purposes

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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

That law was overturned by federal district and appeals courts, but the state tried again in 2014 with a law that stopped short of legalization but repealed the prohibition against running a sports books at tracks and casinos. — Richard Wolf, USA TODAY, "Supreme Court strikes down ban on sports betting in victory for New Jersey," 14 May 2018 In 2011, the Justice Department backed away from its interpretation, deciding that the prohibition was only on online sports betting, not other forms of online gambling. — Alexandra Berzon, WSJ, "Justice Department’s Reversal on Online Gambling Tracked Memo From Adelson Lobbyists," 18 Jan. 2019 The constitutional prohibition on people under the age of 35 serving as president is just one of these weird lacuna that was handed down to us from the 18th century but that nobody would seriously propose creating today if not for status quo bias. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "It’s ridiculous that it’s unconstitutional for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to run for president," 12 Dec. 2018 The report’s recommendation has consequences for the United States, where the Supreme Court is considering a challenge to the prohibition on sports betting. — Philly.com, "Tennis match-fixing probe targets growing market for sports data," 30 Apr. 2018 And in a rare occurrence, even some NRA supporters have voiced opposition to the prohibition. — Alex Horton, courant.com, "Parkland Students See Hypocrisy In NRA's Ban On Guns At Pence Speech," 30 Apr. 2018 And in a rare occurrence, even some NRA supporters have voiced opposition to the prohibition. — Alex Horton, Sun-Sentinel.com, "NRA said guns will be banned during Pence speech. Parkland students see hypocrisy.," 30 Apr. 2018 The decision applied only to Redner but could open the door for more legal skirmishes over the state’s medical-marijuana regulations and could signal how the judge will rule in a challenge to the state’s prohibition on smokable pot as a treatment. — Dara Kam, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Lung cancer survivor can grow pot, judge again rules," 17 Apr. 2018 Among them are the creation of a statewide threat-assessment database and the removal of a prohibition against teachers serving as armed guardians, a proposal that has stirred controversy. — Arian Campo-flores, WSJ, "A Year After Parkland Shooting, Communities Reflect," 14 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prohibition.' 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 prohibition

prohibitive impediment

Statistics for prohibition

Last Updated

12 May 2019

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Time Traveler for prohibition

The first known use of prohibition was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for prohibition

prohibition

noun

English Language Learners Definition of prohibition

: the act of not allowing something to be used or done

: a law or order that stops something from being used or done

: the period of time from 1920 to 1933 in the U.S. when it was illegal to make or sell alcohol

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

prohibition

noun

pro·hi·bi·tion | \ ˌprō-ə-ˈbi-shən

Kids Definition of prohibition

1 : the act of making something illegal or impossible

2 : the forbidding by law of the sale or manufacture of alcoholic liquids for use as beverages

prohibition

noun

pro·hi·bi·tion | \ ˌprō-ə-ˈbi-shən

Legal Definition of prohibition

1a : 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

2a : 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

Other Words from prohibition

prohibitive \ prō-ˈhi-bə-tiv

\ adjective

prohibitively adverb

prohibitory \ -ˈhi-bə-ˌtōr-ē

\ adjective

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