prohibition
noun
pro·hi·bi·tion
ˌprō-ə-ˈbi-shən 
also
ˌprō-hə-
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
Synonyms
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
Both countries recently announced prohibitions on exports of those materials to one another.
—
Melvin Backman, Quartz, 10 Dec. 2024
Illinois passed its legacy admission prohibition in August, following Maryland, which enacted a legacy admission ban in April that applies to both public and private colleges.
—Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
As a senator, Biden was one of the authors of the law that his son violated, the prohibition against drug addicts owning guns.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2024
With interest, Trump and his co-defendants owe nearly $489 million and face prohibitions against running a company in New York.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prohibition 
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.
Melvin Backman, Quartz, 10 Dec. 2024
Illinois passed its legacy admission prohibition in August, following Maryland, which enacted a legacy admission ban in April that applies to both public and private colleges.
—Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
As a senator, Biden was one of the authors of the law that his son violated, the prohibition against drug addicts owning guns.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2024
With interest, Trump and his co-defendants owe nearly $489 million and face prohibitions against running a company in New York.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prohibition
Articles Related to prohibition
Dictionary Entries Near prohibition
Cite this Entry
“Prohibition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prohibition. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prohibition
noun
pro·hi·bi·tion
ˌprō-ə-ˈbish-ən
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
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share