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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
That prohibition did not explicitly cover online sales, but the city of San Diego is one of a number of local governments that adopted laws to eliminate any potential loophole.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
There is no prohibition in statute of law that would keep a county from keeping their registrar's office open on the weekend to collect absentee ballots.
—Daniel Klaidman, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2024
There are no such prohibitions in the U.S. and no one knows how many such experiments are conducted and what kinds are done.
—Peter Singer, TIME, 26 Oct. 2024
Inspired by prohibition, the bottom level is full of bold spirit-forward cocktails.
—Ryan Slattery, Travel + Leisure, 21 Oct. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of prohibition was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing 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 30 Nov. 2024.
Kids 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
More from Merriam-Webster on prohibition
Nglish: Translation of prohibition for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of prohibition for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about prohibition
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