What does "prohibition" mean?
An act of prohibiting, forbidding, disallowing, or proscribing something.
Prohibition
/ˌpɹəʊ(h)ɪˈbɪʃən/ name, noun
name, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An act of prohibiting, forbidding, disallowing, or proscribing something.
- Grammar: prohibition is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: ban, proscription, arrest, arrestation.
- Useful contrasts: formal permission, official mandate, official sanction.
- Usage evidence: During prohibition days, racketeers used to rub each other out to get control of the rum-running racket.
How to use "prohibition"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "prohibition" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "prohibition" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "prohibition" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "prohibition" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "prohibition" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ban" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "prohibition", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An act of prohibiting, forbidding, disallowing, or proscribing something. countable, uncountable
"By its terms, the Twenty-Second Amendment bars only the election of two-term Presidents, and this prohibition would not prevent someone who had twice been elected President from succeeding to the office after having been elected or appointed Vice President. Broader language providing that no such person "shall be chosen or serve as President . . . or be eligible to hold the office" was rejected in favor of the Twenty-Second Amendment’s ban merely on election. (Amdt22.1 Overview of Twenty-Second Amendment, Presidential Term Limits, The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation)"
- 2 the action of prohibiting or inhibiting or forbidding (or an instance thereof) wordnet
- 3 A law prohibiting the manufacture or sale of alcohol. countable, uncountable
"First, some persons might consider my advocacy of prohibition rather odd for a congressman coming from the state which produces the finest bourbon whiskey in the world. While this is true, it is also true that prior to the Eighteenth Amendment a large majority of the counties of Kentucky had voted against the sale of liquor under what was known as the county unit plan. Since repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment a substantial majority of Kentucky counties have voted under local option to outlaw liquor. My stand on the question, first in voting for the submission of the Eighteenth Amendment, and later for an amendment to appeal it, was a matter of principle and not of expediency."
- 4 a law forbidding the sale of alcoholic beverages wordnet
- 5 A period of time when specific socially disapproved consumables are considered controlled substances. countable, uncountable
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 a decree that prohibits something wordnet
- 7 refusal to approve or assent to wordnet
- 8 the period from 1920 to 1933 when the sale of alcoholic beverages was prohibited in the United States by a constitutional amendment wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 Any of several periods during which the manufacture, transportation, import, export, and sale of alcoholic beverages were restricted or illegal.
- 2 Any of several periods during which the manufacture, transportation, import, export, and sale of alcoholic beverages were restricted or illegal.; The period from 17 January 1920 through 5 December 1933 in the United States, between the effective dates of the Eighteenth and Twenty-First Amendments to the United States Constitution. US
- 3 The 66th sura (chapter) of the Qur'an.
Antonyms
formal permissionofficial mandateofficial sanctionwritten permission
Example
"During prohibition days, racketeers used to rub each other out to get control of the rum-running racket."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "prohibition"?
Common synonyms include: ban, proscription, arrest, arrestation, ban, banning.
How do you use "prohibition" in a sentence?
During prohibition days, racketeers used to rub each other out to get control of the rum-running racket.
How do you pronounce "prohibition"?
Pronounced /ˌpɹəʊ(h)ɪˈbɪʃən/.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman and Old French prohibicion, from Latin prohibitiō. By surface analysis, prohibit + -ion.