To prohibit something is to officially forbid it by law, rule, or authority.
From Latin *prohibēre* 'to hold back, prevent', from *pro-* 'forth' and *habēre* 'to hold'. It originally meant to keep something away or in check.
To 'prohibit' is literally to hold something out in front of you so it can’t come closer. Laws don’t just say 'no'; they try to hold certain behaviors at a distance from society.
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