forbids

Forbid is a transitive verb meaning to command against or prohibit by rule, law, or authority. It expresses that a certain action or object is not allowed, typically as an explicit directive from a person or institution in a position of power.

In modern usage, the form forbids appears with a singular subject: The rule forbids smoking. It takes a direct object that names the prohibited thing or action and is often followed by an infinitive phrase, as in The policy forbids employees to disclose confidential information. A common active construction is forbid someone to do something, as in The law forbids you to park here. In more formal or legal writing, you may encounter the passive: Smoking is forbidden.

Origin and related forms: forbids derives from older English forms such as forbidan or forbodian, with the prefix for- and a root related to bidding or commanding. The verb is irregular: the past tense is forbade (or forbad), and the past participle is forbidden. These forms reflect its long-standing role in expressing prohibition.

Usage notes: Forbid is stronger and more formal than ban, and is often used in legal, regulatory, or formal contexts. Prohibit is a close synonym but tends to appear in more formal or technical registers, while ban can be more colloquial. The phrase forbid from doing something is common in older or more formal prose, but the more widely used construction is forbid someone to do something.

See also: prohibition, ban, prohibit, forbidden.