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forbidden

adj. · v.
US //ˈfɔɹbɪdən// UK //fəbˈɪdən// for·bid·den
  1. 1 not allowed (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    not allowed by a rule, law, or social custom.

    prohibited by authority, law, or social convention.

    Example

    Smoking is strictly forbidden inside the hospital building.

    Example

    The treaty explicitly states that the development of chemical weapons is forbidden under international law.
  2. 2 past form of forbid (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the past participle form of the verb 'forbid', meaning to order someone not to do something.

    the past participle of 'forbid', used in passive constructions or perfect tenses to indicate a prohibition.

    Example

    The children were forbidden from playing near the busy road.

    Example

    Having been forbidden from entering the archives, the researcher had to rely on secondary sources for her thesis.

    Usage

    often used in the passive voice with 'from' and a gerund.
Origin

Past participle of the verb forbid. Doublet of verboten. Compare German verboten, Dutch verboden, Swedish förbjuden, and West Frisian ferbean.

Idioms1 entry

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