adjective
prohibitive
pruh-HIB-ih-tiv/prəˈhɪbətɪv/
Preventing an action from being undertaken.
The home's prohibitive price puts it beyond the couple's small savings.
Etymology
The components combine in the idea of holding back or preventing. A prohibitive price or restriction holds someone back in practice, making an action unattainable rather than necessarily forbidding it outright.
In context
experiments that in the past would've been prohibitive for various reasons, whether due to expense or time, or just technical difficulty. Now, suddenly those kinds of experiments became a lot easier.
More examples
- Shipping fees are prohibitive, so I shop locally.
- The project demands a prohibitive amount of time.
- The permit requirements are prohibitive for most small businesses.
Forms
prohibitive
prohibit verb — To formally forbid an action or activity.
prohibition noun — A rule or law forbidding something.
Similar words
- exorbitant
- Describes an excessive price, whether or not it prevents purchase.
- unaffordable
- Specifically means too expensive for someone's available budget.
- restrictive
- Limits available choices without necessarily preventing action altogether.