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
This prohibition has kept me away from Iran for years now.
—
Arash Azizi, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
In April 1943, the minister for justice issued prohibition orders against the final four volumes of Proust’s work (whose English translation, then published under the title Remembrance of Things Past, comprised twelve volumes in total).
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
Governments ban all sorts of goods and services for youth, adults, or both, and most prohibitions do not create other devastating social problems.
—Keith Humphreys, The Atlantic, 2 Feb. 2026
Leading the approach to the BMW was a young, skinny deputy named Daniel Robbins, whose father had made his name as the county’s top narcotics cop during the years of full-scale weed prohibition.
—Scott Eden, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prohibition
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Arash Azizi, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
In April 1943, the minister for justice issued prohibition orders against the final four volumes of Proust’s work (whose English translation, then published under the title Remembrance of Things Past, comprised twelve volumes in total).
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
Governments ban all sorts of goods and services for youth, adults, or both, and most prohibitions do not create other devastating social problems.
—Keith Humphreys, The Atlantic, 2 Feb. 2026
Leading the approach to the BMW was a young, skinny deputy named Daniel Robbins, whose father had made his name as the county’s top narcotics cop during the years of full-scale weed prohibition.
—Scott Eden, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prohibition
Cite this Entry
“Prohibition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prohibition. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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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