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
Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
There’s also a haunted room, one which our hero is forbidden to enter and that eventually offers Teen Chuck (Jacob Tremblay) a vision of things to come.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2025
Even during the days of Concorde, the supersonic plane that retired in 2003, commercial flying at speeds above Mach 1 over mainland US was strictly forbidden, largely due to concerns over noise pollution from sonic booms.
—Edward Russell, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
Geneviève would go around to the various barracks—something that was totally forbidden—and speak to the other French women about him and his plans for France after the war.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for forbid
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show current usage.
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Verb
The ban was introduced in 2024, when cities were forbidden from lighting up their bridges with rainbows for Pride, red for Sickle Cell Awareness, and/or orange for gun safety awareness.
—Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
There’s also a haunted room, one which our hero is forbidden to enter and that eventually offers Teen Chuck (Jacob Tremblay) a vision of things to come.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2025
Even during the days of Concorde, the supersonic plane that retired in 2003, commercial flying at speeds above Mach 1 over mainland US was strictly forbidden, largely due to concerns over noise pollution from sonic booms.
—Edward Russell, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
Geneviève would go around to the various barracks—something that was totally forbidden—and speak to the other French women about him and his plans for France after the war.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for forbid
Cite this Entry
“Forbid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forbid. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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