forbidden

American  

[fer-bid-n, fawr-] / fərˈbɪd n, fɔr- /

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 British  

/ 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 Word Forms

• forbiddenly adverb
• forbiddenness noun
• preforbidden adjective
• self-forbidden adjective
• unforbidden adjective

Etymology

Origin of forbidden

First recorded in 1200–50, for the adjective

Explanation

When something is forbidden, it's not allowed. You were forbidden to use your father's computer but you did it anyway — and that's why you're grounded. You may recognize the phrase "forbidden fruit," which refers to a famous Bible story about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They ate an apple that God had forbidden them to eat, and there were terrible consequences. "Forbidden fruit" refers to something you want even more than you might otherwise, because you're not allowed to have it. If you know a little German, you may notice that forbidden sounds like its German equivalent, verboten.

Example Sentences

It promises access to forbidden truths while relying on the same tired narratives.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2026

The contract terms are unusually strict, however: The licensees can sell to 120 low- and middle-income countries, but are strictly forbidden to provision 26 middle-income countries in Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

The platform will also be forbidden from restricting such third-party ticket sales in any way, whether by leveling extra fees or by adding any glitches to competitor transactions.

From Slate • Mar. 10, 2026

Throughout her life, “if she was forbidden to do or say something,” we read, “her first impulse was to do it anyway.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Then we were all singing together, the full voice of Holland singing her forbidden anthem.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• outlawed
• prohibited