Synonym Chooser

How does the verb prohibit differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of prohibit are forbid, inhibit, and interdict. While all these words mean "to debar one from doing something or to order that something not be done," prohibit suggests the issuing of laws, statutes, or regulations.

prohibited the sale of liquor

When can forbid be used instead of prohibit?

In some situations, the words forbid and prohibit are roughly equivalent. However, forbid implies that the order is from one in authority and that obedience is expected.

smoking is forbidden in the building

When is it sensible to use inhibit instead of prohibit?

The synonyms inhibit and prohibit are sometimes interchangeable, but inhibit implies restraints or restrictions that amount to prohibitions, not only by authority but also by the exigencies of the time or situation.

conditions inhibiting the growth of free trade

When could interdict be used to replace prohibit?

While the synonyms interdict and prohibit are close in meaning, interdict implies prohibition by civil or ecclesiastical authority usually for a given time or a declared purpose.

practices interdicted by the church

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prohibit However, that’s a misreading of the First Amendment, which prohibits government restrictions on free speech and does not apply to private companies. Todd Spangler, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025 Advertisement The letter goes on to detail several ways in which the MPD is prohibited from working with federal law enforcement under the decree. Connor Greene, Time, 30 Sep. 2025 The law also prohibits employers from firing workers because of their disabilities, including when the termination results from a failure to provide accommodation, according to the EEOC news release. Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Sep. 2025 That legislation largely prohibits law-enforcement officials, including federal ones such as ICE, from wearing face coverings during official operations. The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for prohibit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prohibit
Verb
  • Just a few years ago public displays of music and art were forbidden, and both are now mainstream.
    Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2025
  • This behavior is legally acceptable in some towns and unclear or forbidden in others.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • He is said to have created the rice dish plov to heal a young prince who was lovesick after being banned from marrying a craftsman’s daughter.
    Dada Jovanovic, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2025
  • The agreement keeps the popular app alive in the US more than a year after lawmakers passed a bill that would ban TikTok unless Chinese owner ByteDance divests its US operations.
    Claire Cameron, semafor.com, 28 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Chandan is a Dalit, a low-caste Hindu in a country where the system is outlawed but the stigma persists, and Shoaib is Muslim in a time when India faces alarming rises in Islamophobia.
    Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 2025
  • The constant cameras took such a toll on their family that Garner joined other celebrity parents in 2013 to help pass a bill that outlawed paparazzi photos of children taken without permission.
    Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Prohibit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prohibit. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on prohibit

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