prohibit

Prohibit is a verb meaning to officially forbid or disallow something by law, rule, or other authority. It expresses a mandate that certain actions, items, or conditions are not allowed and may be penalized if violated. Prohibitions are common in government regulations, institutional policies, and safety guidelines.

The word comes from Latin prohibere, from pro- “before” and habere “to have/hold.” In English, prohibit is transitive and typically followed by the object and the phrase “from doing something.” For example: The city prohibits parking on Sundays. The policy prohibits students from using mobile phones during exams.

Usage and nuance: Prohibit implies an explicit ban set by an authority, rather than a mere suggestion or discouragement. It differs from prevent in that prohibit specifies a forbidden action, while prevent aims to avert an outcome regardless of the method. Synonyms include ban, forbid, and interdict; the choice among them depends on historical or legal context and tone.

Legal and historical context: In legal and regulatory contexts, prohibitions are codified in statutes, ordinances, or corporate rules and are enforceable with penalties such as fines or sanctions. The related noun prohibition denotes the act or state of being prohibited. A well-known historical reference is the Prohibition era in the United States (approximately 1920–1933), during which the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages were banned and later repealed by constitutional amendment.