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

Synonyms

• banning
• prohibiting

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 plaintiffs separately argued that the regulation includes a prohibition not expressly contemplated in section 1313(v) — that is, the general prohibition of a substitution drawback for excise taxes paid on imports where the substituted exports were exempt from excise tax. —Robert Goulder, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025

The prohibition excludes drones operated by DHS, police, firefighters and commercial operators who obtain an airspace waiver. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 22 June 2025

Washington state is the only other jurisdiction with a similar type of prohibition. —Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 21 June 2025

The letter goes on to cite prohibitions in both the Internal Revenue Code and the Privacy Act of 1974, noting that tax returns can only be access for limited purposes while privacy laws also limit information sharing between agencies. —Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 17 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing prohibition

• writ of prohibition

Rhymes for prohibition

• abolition
• acquisition
• admonition
• ammunition
• apparition
• apposition
• coalition
• competition
• composition
• definition
• deglutition
• demolition

Kids 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

prohibitive

prō-ˈhi-bə-tiv 

adjective

prohibitively adverb

prohibitory

-ˈhi-bə-ˌtōr-ē 

adjective