forbid

for·bid

verb

To forbid is defined as to order that something not occur, or to prevent something from occurring.

When you order your children not to go to a party, this is an example of a time when you forbid their attendance at the party.

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"forbid." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 12 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/FORBID>.

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forbid. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/FORBID

forbid

transitive verb

-·bade′ or -·bad′, -·bid′den or Archaic-·bid′, -·bid′ding

to rule against; not permit; prohibit
to command to stay away from; exclude or bar from
to make impossible; prevent

Origin of forbid

Middle English forbeden from Old English forbeodan: see for- and bid

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MLA Style

"forbid." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 12 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/FORBID>.

APA Style

forbid. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/FORBID

forbid

transitive verb

for·bade, or for·bad for·bid·den, or for·bid for·bid·ding, for·bids

To command (someone) not to do something: I forbid you to go.
To command against the doing or use of (something); prohibit: forbid smoking on trains.
To have the effect of preventing; preclude: Discretion forbids a reply.

Origin of forbid

Middle English forbidden, forbeden from Old English forbēodan ; see bheudh- in Indo-European roots.

Related Forms:

for·bid′dance
noun

for·bid′der
noun

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Link to this page

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MLA Style

"forbid." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 12 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/FORBID>.

APA Style

forbid. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/FORBID

forbid

forbid ban ¹enjoin interdict prohibit proscribe

These verbs mean to refuse to allow: laws that forbid speeding; banned smoking; was enjoined from broadcasting; interdict trafficking in drugs; rules that prohibit loitering; proscribed the importation of certain fruits.

Antonym: permit

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"forbid." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 12 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/FORBID>.

APA Style

forbid. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/FORBID

Verb

(third-person singular simple present forbids, present participle forbidding, simple past forbid, forbade or forbad, past participle forbidden)

To disallow; to proscribe.
Smoking in the restaurant is forbidden.
To deny, exclude from, or warn off, by express command.
To oppose, hinder, or prevent, as if by an effectual command.
An impassable river forbids the approach of the army.

Usage notes

This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive when the forbidden person is mentioned, and the gerund (-ing) otherwise. . Examples:
1. The management forbids employees to smoke in the office. (Active; those subject to prohibition are identified)
2. Employees are forbidden to smoke in the office. (Passive; those subject to prohibition are identified)
3. The management forbids smoking in the office. (Active; those subject to prohibition are not identified)
4. Smoking in the office is forbidden. (Passive; those subject to prohibition are not identified)

Origin

From Middle English forbeden, from Old English forbēodan (“to forbid, prohibit, restrain, refuse, repeal, annul”), equivalent to for- (“from, away”) +‎ bid (“to offer, proclaim”). Cognate with Dutch verbieden (“to forbid”), German verbieten (“to forbid”), Danish forbyde (“to forbid”), Swedish förbjuda (“to forbid”), Gothic (faurbiudan).