forbidden

[ fer-bid-n, fawr- ]

verb

1. a past participle of forbid.

adjective

1. not allowed; prohibited:

   a forbidden food in his religion.

2. Physics. involving a change in quantum numbers that is not permitted by the selection rules:

   forbidden transition.

forbidden

/ fəˈbɪdən /

adjective

1. not permitted by order or law
2. physics involving a change in quantum numbers that is not permitted by certain rules derived from quantum mechanics, esp rules for changes in the electrical dipole moment of the system

Usage

It was formerly considered incorrect to talk of forbidding someone from doing something, but in modern usage either from or to can be used: he was forbidden from entering/to enter the building

Other Words From

• for·bidden·ly adverb
• for·bidden·ness noun
• prefor·bidden adjective
• self-for·bidden adjective
• unfor·bidden adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of forbidden¹

First recorded in 1200–50, for the adjective

Example Sentences

In California, home to a sizeable population of mixed families with undocumented members, officials are forbidden from asking students about immigration status.

From BBC

South Park has always worked on multiple levels - offering outrageous forbidden shock value for schoolchildren while delivering crunching adult satire.

From BBC

You could probably get away with giving this gift to both the plant lover on your list and/or that special someone who genuinely fears the forbidden frond.

From Los Angeles Times

And he can probably hear the giggling tourists taking pictures with the latest cameras and phones, which he is forbidden from owning.

From BBC

During last Friday’s episode, he lumped election fraud claims into the same pile as anti-vaxxer rhetoric, calling it a “forbidden topic.”

From Salon

Related Words

• outlawed
• prohibited