Prohibit
/prəˈhɪb.ɪt/noun
To formally forbid something by law, rule, or authority.
Did you know?In Latin, prohibere was built from pro- (“before, in front of”) + habere (“to hold”), so prohibition began as the idea of physically holding someone back before they could act.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰabh-
“to give, take, hold”
Latin
Latin
habēre
“to have, hold, keep”
Latin
Latin
prohibēre
“to hold back, keep from, prevent”
Old French
Old French
prohiber
“to forbid, interdict”
Middle English
English
prohibiten
“to forbid by authority”
Modern English
English
prohibit
“to formally forbid or prevent by law or rule”
Explore more surprising origins