Word
forbidden
Phoneticsfor·bid·den, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈfɔɹbɪdən/
UK/fəbˈɪdən/
Definitions
01not allowed
B1 · Intermediate
adj. not allowed by a rule, law, or social custom.
adj. prohibited by authority, law, or social convention.
“Smoking is strictly forbidden inside the hospital building.”
“The treaty explicitly states that the development of chemical weapons is forbidden under international law.”
Synonyms
02past form of forbid
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. the past participle form of the verb 'forbid', meaning to order someone not to do something.
v. the past participle of 'forbid', used in passive constructions or perfect tenses to indicate a prohibition.
“The children were forbidden from playing near the busy road.”
“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.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
Past participle of the verb forbid. Doublet of verboten. Compare German verboten, Dutch verboden, Swedish förbjuden, and West Frisian ferbean.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. forbidden fruit
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/forbidden