prohibitive

 
Pronunciation: /prə(ʊ)ˈhɪbɪtɪv/

adjective

  • 1(of a law or rule) forbidding or restricting something: prohibitive legislation
  • preventing someone from doing something: books made browser-proof with prohibitive cellophane wrapping
  • 2(of a price or charge) so high as to prevent something being done or bought: the cost of converting existing power stations is likely to be prohibitive

Derivatives

prohibitively

adverb

prohibitiveness

noun

Origin:

late Middle English (in prohibitive (sense 1)): from French prohibitif, -ive or Latin prohibitivus, from prohibit- 'kept in check', from the verb prohibere (see prohibit)