nonpermissive

Nonpermissive is an adjective used to describe a stance, policy, or system that does not permit certain actions or outcomes. It emphasizes prohibition or enforcement, in contrast to permissive approaches that allow actions with minimal constraint.

In policy and governance, a nonpermissive regime imposes strict prohibitions and relies on enforcement mechanisms to deter violations. In computer science and information security, nonpermissive configurations or modes enforce security policies by blocking disallowed operations, producing errors, or triggering accountability records. This is opposite to permissive modes, which grant permissions or allow actions with limited or conditional constraints, often accompanied by warnings or audits.

In law and international relations, nonpermissive measures include sanctions, export controls, or other restrictions that prevent specified activities rather than merely signaling disapproval. The exact meaning depends on context, and practitioners may substitute terms such as restrictive, prohibitive, or blocking in certain uses.

Despite its broad applicability, nonpermissive is a relatively technical term and may be used mainly in policy, security, and administrative contexts. It provides a concise way to indicate that compliance requires active refusal of nonconforming actions.

See also: permissive, restrictive, enforcement, blocking.