From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishforbidfor‧bid /fəˈbɪd $ fər-/ ●●○ verb (past tense forbade /-ˈbæd, -ˈbeɪd/, past participle forbidden /-ˈbɪdn/, present participle forbidding) [transitive] 1 FORBIDto tell someone that they are not allowed to do something, or that something is not allowed OPP permitforbid somebody to do something He was forbidden to leave the house, as a punishment.forbid somebody from doing something Women are forbidden from going out without a veil.strictly/expressly/explicitly etc forbid The law strictly forbids racial or sexual discrimination.RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say that someone is not allowed to do something rather than is forbidden to do something: He was not allowed to leave the house.2 → God/Heaven forbid3 formalIMPOSSIBLE to make it impossible for someone to do something SYN prevent Lack of space forbids listing the names of all those who contributed.THESAURUSforbid to tell someone in a very strong way that they must not do something or that something is not allowedHis doctor had strictly forbidden him to drink alcohol.It is forbidden to say such things. not allow to say that someone must not do or have something, and stop them doing or having itThe company does not allow smoking inside the building.Mobile phones are not allowed in school.not let [not in passive] to not allow someone to do something. Not let is more informal than not allowMy parents won’t let me stay out later than 11 o'clock.not permit [usually passive] if something is not permitted, a rule or law says that you must not do it. Not permit is more formal than not allowCandidates are not permitted to use dictionaries in this examination.Parking is not permitted here after 8 am.ban to say officially that people must not do or have somethingParliament decided to ban fox-hunting.The book was banned in many countries.prohibit /prəˈhɪbət $ proʊ-/ to say officially that an action is illegal and make a law or rule about thisActs of vandalism are prohibited.bar [usually passive] to not allow someone to enter a place or do something, especially by preventing it officiallyForeign journalists were barred from entering the country.proscribe formal to say officially that people are not allowed to do somethingThe law proscribes discrimination in the workplace. → See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
forbid• The management forbids employees to accept tips from customers.• They were forbidden from entering the sacred chamber.• She still did lip service to the old ways, while herself nibbling away at forbidden fruit.• She forbade him to accompany her beyond the door and walked alone over the golden sand past the flower-beds to the gate.• Indeed, modesty forbade him to contemplate too long what he could count a personal success.• The Countess forbade it in her will, knowing what the beginnings had been.• The logic of transnational production either forbids, permits, or encourages backward linkages.• Their religion forbids the eating of pork.• At that time, the state law forbade the teaching of evolution.strictly/expressly/explicitly etc forbid• Any social contact with Silly-Willie was strictly forbidden.• He had found the porter visiting the superintendent nurse in her room, a form of social exchange that was strictly forbidden.• Violent shaking or other gross indignities are expressly forbidden.• Mrs Berzins, who remembered herself as a young woman, did not strictly forbid her to go.• It is now in effect explicitly forbidden to do this in any aspect of the instructional program.• They were expressly forbidden to engage in any other activities, of course.• Although we have been strictly forbidden to enter the shed, my sister and I spend a lot of time in here.Origin forbid Old English forbeodan 