prohibitive

[ proh-hib-i-tiv ]

adjective

1. serving or tending to prohibit or forbid something:

   We will discuss some of the discriminatory, prohibitive legislation that was undone by the Civil Rights Act.

2. sufficing to prevent the use, purchase, etc., of something:

   prohibitive prices.

3. having so great a likelihood of success that others vying for the same thing are essentially prevented from succeeding:

   Political analysts are largely in agreement over who the party’s prohibitive nominee is.

prohibitive

/ -trɪ; prəˈhɪbɪtɪv; prəˈhɪbɪtərɪ /

adjective

1. prohibiting or tending to prohibit
2. (esp of prices) tending or designed to discourage sale or purchase

Derived Forms

• proˈhibitively, adverb
• proˈhibitiveness, noun

Other Words From

• pro·hib·i·tive·ly adverb
• pro·hib·i·tive·ness noun
• non·pro·hib·i·tive adjective
• non·pro·hib·i·tive·ly adverb
• un·pro·hib·i·tive adjective
• un·pro·hib·i·tive·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of prohibitive¹

First recorded in 1400–50; from Medieval Latin prohibitīvus; prohibit, -ive

Example Sentences

The couple accept that the financial costs of surrogacy are "prohibitive - tens of thousands of pounds".

From BBC

The willpower to build more housing often falters in the face of apparently prohibitive costs, political opposition and self-serving incentives, a reality that is playing out on the state and local level.

From Salon

All of those categories can reasonably be imagined as “persuadable,” though the cost-benefit ratio involved in efforts to reach them and get them to the polls could be prohibitive.

From Salon

What has changed, Hall said, is that the increase in the number of giveaway dates has made the total cost of giveaways more prohibitive.

From Los Angeles Times

He argued Botanic Tonics — a beverage company listed as a supporter of the Global Kratom Coalition — had enough market presence that for them, the registration fees would not be prohibitive.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• excessive
• exorbitant
• preposterous
• steep