noun / proper noun

prohibition

proh-ih-BISH-un/ˌprəʊɪˈbɪʃn/

An authoritative ban on an activity.

The city enforces a prohibition on smoking in public buildings.

A person stops at a clearly readable no-smoking sign, red crossed-out cigarette symbol, clean public doorway.

Etymology

proLatinaway, forth

+hibitLatinto hold

+ionLatinaction or result

The pieces name a holding away or restraint. The noun can denote not only the act of forbidding but also the rule or order that imposes that restraint.

In context

Weird History0:38

United States Congress voted to approve a constitutional Amendment, banning the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating beverages. It would be ratified by the states in 1919. And by 1920, Prohibition was the law of the land

What It Was Like to Be a Prohibition Bootlegger

More examples

The lease includes a prohibition against keeping pets.
The new rules lift several prohibitions on outdoor dining.
During Prohibition, federal law banned the manufacture and sale of alcoholic drinks.

Forms

prohibition · prohibitions

prohibit verb — To officially forbid an action or activity.

Similar words

ban: Ban is a less formal term for an official prohibition.
restriction: Restriction limits an activity without necessarily forbidding it entirely.