Pro*hib"it (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Prohibited; p. pr. & vb. n.
Prohibiting.] [L. prohibitus, p. p. of prohibere
to prohibit; pro before, forth + habere to have, hold.
See Habit.]
1. To forbid by authority; to interdict; as,
God prohibited Adam from eating of the fruit of a certain tree;
we prohibit a person from doing a thing, and also the doing of
the thing; as, the law prohibits men from stealing, or it
prohibits stealing.
&fist; Prohibit was formerly followed by to with the
infinitive, but is now commonly followed by from with the
verbal noun in -ing.
2. To hinder; to debar; to prevent; to
preclude.
Gates of burning adamant,
Barred over us, prohibit all egress.
Milton.
Syn. -- To forbid; interdict; debar; prevent; hinder. --
Prohibit, Forbid. To forbid is Anglo-Saxon, and
is more familiar; to prohibit is Latin, and is more formal or
official. A parent forbids his child to be out late at night;
he prohibits his intercourse with the profane and vicious.
