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
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
In addition to the general tourist warnings, specific prohibitions are issued to U.S. government employees staying or traveling in Mexico.
—
Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2024
Always seamy, the narcotics trade was largely legal until global prohibition began in the early 20th century.
—Penn Bullock, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2024
The prohibitions would prevent testing of self-driving cars on U.S. roads by Chinese automakers and extend to vehicle software and hardware produced by other U.S. foreign adversaries, including Russia.
—David Shepardson, Detroit Free Press, 24 Sep. 2024
Her lawsuit argued that the referendum initiative violates the state constitution's prohibition on voter initiatives to revoke legislative appropriations for government functions.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff and Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 14 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prohibition 
Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2024
Always seamy, the narcotics trade was largely legal until global prohibition began in the early 20th century.
—Penn Bullock, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2024
The prohibitions would prevent testing of self-driving cars on U.S. roads by Chinese automakers and extend to vehicle software and hardware produced by other U.S. foreign adversaries, including Russia.
—David Shepardson, Detroit Free Press, 24 Sep. 2024
Her lawsuit argued that the referendum initiative violates the state constitution's prohibition on voter initiatives to revoke legislative appropriations for government functions.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff and Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 14 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prohibition
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prohibition.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Prohibition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prohibition. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.
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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