prohibitive

adjective

pro·​hib·​i·​tive prō-ˈhi-bə-tiv 

prə-

1

: tending to prohibit or restrain

2

: tending to preclude use or purchase

prohibitive costs

3

: almost certain to perform as predicted

a prohibitive favorite

prohibitively adverb

prohibitiveness noun

Examples of prohibitive in a Sentence

the prohibitive cost of rent

Recent Examples on the Web

The prohibitive influence Tehran once wielded over the structure of the Lebanese government is diminished, perhaps to the point of negligibility. —Noah Rothman, National Review, 8 Jan. 2025

While this is a worthwhile investment for emergency room doctors deciding whether to admit a sick infant or send them home, such costs are often prohibitive for ordinary physicians. —David Cox, WIRED, 7 Jan. 2025

What to Consider One of the most exclusive properties on the Big Island comes with rates that might be prohibitive for some. —Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 31 Dec. 2024

And while the cost of increasing undisrupted learning time may be prohibitive for some districts, any districts can look at actions such as later start times for older students and morning core classes to capitalize on students’ most productive hours of the day. —Peter Greene, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

prohibitive

adjective

pro·​hib·​i·​tive prō-ˈhib-ət-iv 

: likely to discourage use or purchase

prohibitive prices

prohibitively adverb