prohibits

Prohibits is the third-person singular present tense of the verb prohibit, meaning to officially forbid or disallow something by law, rule, or policy. It is used to assign a formal ban to a subject, typically in written or administrative contexts such as regulations, guidelines, contracts, and institutional policies.

In usage, prohibitions are often stated with specificity, including what is forbidden, who is affected, and any penalties or exceptions. For example, a policy may state that it prohibits smoking on campus or that a contract prohibits the disclosure of confidential information. In legal and formal documents, prohibit is preferred over more casual words like “forbid” or “ban,” though all convey a similar restriction. Prohibits is commonly followed by a direct object that identifies the prohibited act or item.

Etymology and related terms: Prohibits derives from the Latin prohibere, meaning to prevent or restrain, itself from pro- “forward” and habere “to have.” Related forms include prohibit (the base verb), prohibited (past participle/adjective), prohibition (the noun form of the act), and prohibitive (adjective describing something that tends to forbid or deter). Antonyms include permit and allow.

See also: prohibition, prohibitionist, law and policy drafting, regulatory compliance. In practice, prohibitions function as instruments to maintain safety, order, and compliance within organizations and jurisdictions.