prohibitive

adjective

pro·​hib·​i·​tive prō-ˈhi-bə-tiv 

prə-

1

: tending to prohibit or restrain

2

: tending to preclude use or purchase

prohibitive costs

3

: almost certain to perform as predicted

a prohibitive favorite

prohibitively adverb

prohibitiveness noun

Examples of prohibitive in a Sentence

the prohibitive cost of rent

Recent Examples on the Web

On the surface, Platner’s politics seemed like a non-starter for a Maine Senate candidate, and a prohibitive obstacle when courting the state’s rural, right-leaning voters. — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 15 July 2026

Fractional leadership has become a practical option for startups and small businesses that need executive-level guidance without having to hire a full-timer, which is cost-prohibitive for many companies. — Rob Falzon, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Traditional studios might adopt Chinese models for some preproduction tasks such as concepting, but the geopolitical and intellectual property risks for commercial generations are too prohibitive. — Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026

And will the acquisition cost be prohibitive in a climate where so many teams are trying to add, driving up the asking price? — James Mirtle, New York Times, 30 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for prohibitive

• inhibitive

Kids Definition

prohibitive

adjective

pro·​hib·​i·​tive prō-ˈhib-ət-iv 

: likely to discourage use or purchase

prohibitive prices

prohibitively adverb