prohibition

noun

pro·​hi·​bi·​tion ˌprō-ə-ˈbi-shən How to pronounce prohibition (audio)
also
ˌprō-hə- How to pronounce prohibition (audio)
1
: the act of prohibiting by authority
2
: an order to restrain or stop
3
often capitalized : the forbidding by law of the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcoholic liquors except for medicinal and sacramental purposes

Examples of prohibition in a Sentence

the city's prohibition of smoking in restaurants a prohibition against parking on the street
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Jha highlighted that in the absence of any strict contractual prohibitions mentioned in the licensing agreements between the streamer and creator, platforms tend to exercise their own editorial discretion. Viren Naidu, IndieWire, 2 Apr. 2025 Short of a full prohibition, Congress could also look to copy smart reforms from the states, as Judge Glock and Renu Mukherjee have written in a recent Manhattan Institute report. The Editors, National Review, 31 Mar. 2025 One major benefit of ridding California of our Coastal Commission: water security Of course, there is the point that the prohibition of any of these consumers goods, any of them without exception, is a rights violation. Walter E Block, Orange County Register, 22 Mar. 2025 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 is certainly the most egregious recent violation of this prohibition—an outlier, as an attempt to capture an entire sovereign country. Tanisha M. Fazal, Foreign Affairs, 21 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for prohibition

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prohibition was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prohibition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prohibition. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

prohibition

noun
pro·​hi·​bi·​tion ˌprō-ə-ˈbish-ən How to pronounce prohibition (audio)
1
: the act of prohibiting
2
: an order forbidding something
3
often capitalized : the forbidding by law of the sale and manufacture of alcoholic beverages

Legal Definition

prohibition

noun
pro·​hi·​bi·​tion ˌprō-ə-ˈbi-shən How to pronounce prohibition (audio)
1
a
: an extraordinary writ issued by a higher court commanding an inferior court to keep within its proper jurisdiction (as by ceasing a prosecution)
b
: an order to refrain or stop
2
a
: something (as a law) that prohibits a certain act or procedure
b
capitalized : the period from 1920 to 1933 in the U.S. when the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcoholic liquors was prohibited by the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
prohibitive adjective
prohibitively adverb
prohibitory adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on prohibition

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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