# forbidden

/ˈfɔɹbɪdən/ (US) · /fəbˈɪdən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/forbidden
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. not allowed

adjective · CEFR B1

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

For teachers: 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.

### 2. past form of forbid

verb · CEFR B2

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

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- Smoking is forbidden inside the building.
- The local government has forbidden the use of plastic bags in all grocery stores to reduce waste.
- In many ancient cultures, entering the inner sanctum of the temple was strictly forbidden to anyone except the high priest, under penalty of exile.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.