prohibit

verb

1)

state law prohibits gambling

Syn:

forbid, ban, bar, interdict, proscribe, make illegal, embargo, outlaw, disallow, veto; Law enjoin

Ant:

permit, authorize

2)

a cash shortage prohibited the visit

Syn:

prevent, stop, rule out, preclude, make impossible

Ant:

facilitate, allow

••

prohibit, ban, disallow, enjoin, forbid, hinder, interdict, preclude

There are a number of ways to prevent something from happening. You can prohibit it, which assumes that you have legal or other authority and are willing to back up your prohibition with force (prohibit smoking); or you can simply forbid it and hope that you've got the necessary clout (forbid teenagers to stay out after midnight). Ban carries a little more weight — both legal and moral — and interdict suggests that church or civil authorities are behind the idea. To enjoin (in this sense) is to prohibit by legal injunction (the truckers were enjoined from striking), which practically guarantees that you'll get what you want. A government or some other authority may disallow an act it might otherwise have permitted (the IRS disallowed the deduction), but anyone with a little gumption can hinder an activity by putting obstacles in its path (hinder the thief's getaway by tripping him on his way out the door). Of course, the easiest way to prohibit something is to preclude it, which means stopping it before it even gets started.