forbade fər-ˈbad 
-ˈbād
-ˈbād
fȯr-
also forbad fər-ˈbad
fȯr-
; forbidden fər-ˈbi-dᵊn
fȯr-
; forbidding
1
: to proscribe (see proscribe sense 2) from or as if from the position of one in authority : command against
The law forbids stores to sell liquor to minors.
Her mother forbids her to go.
2
: to hinder or prevent as if by an effectual command
Space forbids further treatment here.
Modesty forbids telling what my part was in the affair.
forbidder noun
Examples of forbid in a Sentence
Verb I forbid you to go! She was forbidden by her parents to marry him. She was forbidden from marrying him. The museum forbids flash photography. The company's rules forbid dating among employees.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026 He was bound by nondisclosure agreements forbidding him from revealing classified or sensitive military information. —ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026 But then the estate realized that the decades-old settlement with the accuser forbade any party from depicting that situation for commercial purposes. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026 California’s consumer protection and false advertising laws also forbid misrepresenting goods or services. —Christopher Elliott, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for forbid
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The stream rushed by, as clear and inviting as the nearby lake that their father forbade them from swimming in. —Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026 He was bound by nondisclosure agreements forbidding him from revealing classified or sensitive military information. —ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026 But then the estate realized that the decades-old settlement with the accuser forbade any party from depicting that situation for commercial purposes. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026 California’s consumer protection and false advertising laws also forbid misrepresenting goods or services. —Christopher Elliott, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for forbid
Cite this Entry
“Forbid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/forbid. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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