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

That’s usually a good thing, curators are quick to note, but some believe the process can sometimes be needlessly prohibitive, to the detriment of collections today and in the future. —Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024

The cost — roughly $290 per child per week, or $3,480 per month, according to a billing estimate reviewed by The Washington Post — would be prohibitive even with a higher full-time salary, which would have netted roughly $2,000 per month in take-home pay. —Jeff Stein, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

prohibitive

adjective

pro·​hib·​i·​tive prō-ˈhib-ət-iv 

: likely to discourage use or purchase

prohibitive prices

prohibitively adverb