Prohibitionary

Prohibitionary is an adjective used to describe actions, measures, rules, or periods that are intended to prohibit or restrict something. It is related to prohibition—the act of forbidding by law or rule—but prohibitionary is used to characterize the means or aims rather than the act itself. The term is relatively uncommon compared with prohibitory, and it appears most often in formal, legal, or policy writing.

Etymology and usage: Prohibitionary is formed from the noun prohibition with the suffix -ary. The more common adjective in many contexts is prohibitory; prohibitionary tends to appear in older or more formal writing or in phrases such as prohibitionary measures, prohibitionary regulations, or a prohibitionary period preceding full enforcement.

Contexts and examples: In legal or regulatory drafting, prohibitionary clauses or orders may restrict certain actions pending the finalization of broader prohibitions. In policy discourse, prohibitionary steps might describe preliminary measures designed to curb activity before a complete prohibition takes effect. Because the term is atypical, writers often substitute prohibitory instead, unless a parallel emphasis on the act of forbidding is required.

See also: Prohibition, prohibitory, prohibition in law, regulatory measures, legal drafting. Note that prohibitionary is a legitimate but relatively rare adjective in English, and in many modern contexts prohibitory is preferred for describing prohibitions and related tools.