LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbsecond conjugation

prohibeō

prohibeō (present infinitive prohibēre, perfect active prohibuī, supine prohibitum)
Classical[proˈ(ɦ)ɪ.be.oː]Ecclesiastical[proˈiː.be.o]
№ 604 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. to hold back or before, keep or ward off, restrain; avert; prevent, hinder
    “Hospitiō prohibēmur harēnae; bella cient, prīmāque vetant cōnsistere terrā.” “We [Trojans] are being kept back from the refuge of the beach; [the Carthaginians] provoke hostilities, and they forbid [us] to set foot on the first [part of your] land [i.e., the shoreline].” (Trojan envoy Ilioneus is addressing Queen Dido.)29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 1.540–541
  2. to forbid, prohibit
    Male etiam, quī peregrīnōs urbibus ūtī prohibent eōsque exterminant.Those who prohibit foreigners from using their cities and expel them also act badly.
  3. to keep, preserve, defend, protect
    ōrāmus prohibē īnfandōs ā nāvibus ignīs“We beg [you]: Keep dreadful fires [away] from [our] ships!” (Ilioneus petitions Queen Dido to protect the Trojan fleet now moored near Carthage.)29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 1.525
  4. to keep someone (accusative) off something (ablative)
    ut pabulatione et commeatu Romani prohibeanturSo that the Romans should be prohibited from foraging and procuring the provisionsc. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de bello Gallico VII.14

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

nōn sinō venīre; mīles turbam prohibet.
prohibeō -ēre -uī — in Mille Verba, Basilica et Iūs

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Arcere · Prohibere

Arcere (ἀρκεῖν, from ἐρύκειν) means to keep off and bar the entry, in opp. to admittere, Plin. H. N. xii. 1; on the other hand, prohibere means to keep at a distance, and prevent the approach, in opp. to adhibere. The arcens makes defensive opposition, like the resistens, and protects the threatened; but the prohibens acts on the offensive, like the propulsans, and retaliates hostility on the assailant. (iv. 430.)

Conjugation conjugation 2

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.prohibeōprohibēbamprohibēbōprohibuīprohibueramprohibuerō
2nd sg.prohibēsprohibēbāsprohibēbisprohibuistīprohibuerāsprohibueris
3rd sg.prohibetprohibēbatprohibēbitprohibuitprohibueratprohibuerit
1st pl.prohibēmusprohibēbāmusprohibēbimusprohibuimusprohibuerāmusprohibuerimus
2nd pl.prohibētisprohibēbātisprohibēbitisprohibuistisprohibuerātisprohibueritis
3rd pl.prohibentprohibēbantprohibēbuntprohibuērunt
prohibuēre
prohibuerantprohibuerint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.prohibeamprohibēremprohibuerimprohibuissem
2nd sg.prohibeāsprohibērēsprohibuerīsprohibuissēs
3rd sg.prohibeatprohibēretprohibueritprohibuisset
1st pl.prohibeāmusprohibērēmusprohibuerīmusprohibuissēmus
2nd pl.prohibeātisprohibērētisprohibuerītisprohibuissētis
3rd pl.prohibeantprohibērentprohibuerintprohibuissent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.prohibeorprohibēbarprohibēbor
2nd sg.prohibēris
prohibēre
prohibēbāris
prohibēbāre
prohibēberis
prohibēbere
3rd sg.prohibēturprohibēbāturprohibēbitur
1st pl.prohibēmurprohibēbāmurprohibēbimur
2nd pl.prohibēminīprohibēbāminīprohibēbiminī
3rd pl.prohibenturprohibēbanturprohibēbuntur
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.prohibearprohibērer
2nd sg.prohibeāris
prohibeāre
prohibērēris
prohibērēre
3rd sg.prohibeāturprohibērētur
1st pl.prohibeāmurprohibērēmur
2nd pl.prohibeāminīprohibērēminī
3rd pl.prohibeanturprohibērentur
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.prohibēprohibēre
pres. 2nd pl.prohibēteprohibēminī
fut. 2nd sg.prohibētōprohibētor
fut. 3rd sg.prohibētōprohibētor
fut. 2nd pl.prohibētōte—
fut. 3rd pl.prohibentōprohibentor
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitiveprohibēreprohibērī
perfect infinitiveprohibuisseprohibitum esse
future infinitiveprohibitūrum esseprohibitum īrī
present participleprohibēns
prohibente, prohibentem, prohibentēs, prohibentī, prohibentia, prohibentibus, prohibentis, prohibentīs, prohibentium
—
perfect participle—prohibitus
prohibita, prohibitā, prohibitae, prohibitam, prohibitārum, prohibitās, prohibite, prohibitī, prohibitīs, prohibitō, prohibitōrum, prohibitōs
future participleprohibitūrus
prohibitūra, prohibitūrā, prohibitūrae, prohibitūram, prohibitūrārum, prohibitūrās, prohibitūre, prohibitūrī, prohibitūrīs, prohibitūrō, prohibitūrōrum, prohibitūrōs, prohibitūrum
prohibendus
gerundprohibendī, prohibendō, prohibendumsupineprohibitum, prohibitū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

censu prohibere, excludere
to strike off the burgess-roll.
di prohibeant, di meliora!
heaven forfend!
portu, terra prohiberi (B. C. 3. 15)
to be unable to land.
intercludere, prohibere hostes commeatu
to cut off all supplies of the enemy.

prŏ-hĭbĕo, ŭi, ĭtum, 2 (old forms, prohibessis, Cato, R. R. 141, 2; Enn. ap. Prob. ad Verg. E. 6, 31 (Trag. v. 323 Vahl.):
I. prohibessit, Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 11: prohibessint, Cic. Leg. 3, 3 fin.), v. a. habeo, to hold in front, i. e.,
I. To hold back, keep in check, to restrain, hinder, prevent, avert, keep or ward off, debar (class.; cf.: inhibeo, arceo).
A. In gen.; usually constr. aliquem or aliquid, with abl.; alone or ab and abl.; with ut, ne, quominus, or an obj.-clause; also with simple acc.; less freq. with de, the dat., or gen.
1. With ab: quo illum ab illā prohibeas, Plaut. Ep. 2, 2, 103: prohibete a vobis vim meam, id. Capt. 4, 2, 24: praedones procul ab insulā Siciliā, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 64, § 144: hostem a pugnā, Caes. B. G. 4, 34: aliquem a familiaritate, congressione, patrio jure et potestate, Cic. Phil. 2, 18, 46: vim hostium ab oppidis, Caes. B. G. 1, 11: se suosque ab injuriā, to restrain themselves, refrain from, id. ib. 2, 28 fin.: ita prohibendo a delictis magis quam vindicando exercitum brevi confirmavit, Sall. J. 45, 3; 22, 4. —
2. With de: vim de classe, Lucil. ap. Non 528, 10.—
3. With abl.: cum suis finibus eos prohibent, Caes. B. G. 1, 1: itinere exercitum, to impede its march, id. ib. 1, 10: hostem rapinis, pabulationibus populationibusque, id. ib. 1, 15.—With abl. without an object: non prohibere aquā profluente, Cic. Off. 1, 16, 52.—
4. With dat.: aliquem alicui, to withhold from one, Plaut. Curc. 5, 2, 7; cf.: aditum alicui, Auct. B. Afr. 31: captae prohibere nequiret Cum Poenos aquilae, could not prevent the Carthaginians from capturing the standard, Sil. 6, 27 (but the gen., Cic. Cat. 2, 12, 26; Caes. B. C. 3, 44, depends on the acc. object of prohibere; v. 7 infra).—
5. With ut, ne, quominus; rarely with quin: dii prohibeant, ut, etc., Cic. Rosc. Am. 52, 151: qui tu id prohibere me potes, ne suspicer, Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 50 Brix ad loc.: quod potuisti prohibere, ne fieret, Cic. Div. in Caecil. 10, 33: ne lustrum perficeret, mors prohibuit P. Furi, Liv. 24, 43, 4: hiemem credo adhuc prohibuisse, quo minus, etc., Cic. Fam. 12, 5, 1: prohibere quominus sumerent, non poterant, Hirt. B. G. 8, 34: si prohibere, quominus in unum coirent, non posset, Liv. 25, 35, 6: nec, quin erumperet, ubi vellet, prohiberi poterat, id. 26, 40, 4.—
6. With obj.-clause: qui peregrinos urbibus uti prohibent, Cic. Off. 3, 11, 47: qui Bibulum exire domo prohibuissent, id. Fam. 1, 9, 7: jam se ad prohibenda circumdari opera Aequi parabant, Liv. 3, 28, 7: prohibuit migrari, Veios, id. 5, 49, 8: prohibete jus de pecuniis dici, id. 6, 18, 14; 6, 20, 6: audeat Canuleius proloqui, se delectum haberi prohibiturum, Liv. 4, 2, 12; 25, 4, 4; 25, 14, 7: qui Cimbros intra fines suos ingredi prohibuerint, Caes. B. G. 2, 4; Verg. A. 6, 606.—
7. With simple acc.: Mars pater, ut tu morbos visos invisosque, viduertatem vastitudinemque ... prohibessis, defendas averruncesque, an old formula of prayer in Cato, R. R. 141: neque munitiones Caesaris prohibere poterat, Caes. B. G. 3, 44: motus conatusque alicujus prohibere, Cic. Cat. 2, 12, 26: prohibenda maxime est ira in puniendo, id. Off. 1, 25, 89: quod uti prohibitum irem, quod in me esset, meo labori non parsi, Cato ap. Fest. s. v. parsi, p. 242 Müll.: prohibere comitia dicitur vitiare diem morbo, Fest. p. 236 ib.; Cato ap. Fest. l. l.: quod di prohibeant, which may the gods forbid or avert, Ter. And. 3, 3, 36; and in the same sense: dii mala prohibeant, id. Hec. 2, 1, 10; cf.: di, prohibete minas; di, talem avertite casum, Verg. A. 3, 265; and: deos quaeso, ut istaec prohibeant, Ter. Ad. 2, 4, 11.—
B. In partic., to forbid, prohibit a thing (syn.: interdico, veto): tu modo ne me prohibeas accipere, siquid det mihi, Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 89: nemo hic prohibet nec vetat, id. Curc. 1, 1, 33: lex recta imperans prohibensque contraria, Cic. N. D. 1, 14, 36: sed dii et homines prohibuere redemptos vivere Romanos, Liv. 5, 49, 1; Quint. 5, 10, 104; cf.: Athenis affectus movere per praeconem prohibebatur orator, the orator was forbidden, id. 6, 1, 7: prohibitis abstinere, Sen. Ep. 83, 18.—
II. To keep away from a thing for the sake of safety (cf. defendo, II.), to keep, preserve, defend, protect (rare but class.); with ab: a quo periculo prohibete rem publicam, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 7, 19: adultam virginem ab armatorum impetu, id. Brut. 96, 330.—With abl.: haec damna multa mulierum Me uxore prohibent, keep me from a wife, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 105: magnum civium numerum calamitate prohibere, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 7, 18: tenuiores injuriā, id. Off. 2, 12, 31: ad prohibendam populationibus Campaniam, Liv. 22, 14, 2.—With double acc.: id te Juppiter Prohibessit, from that may Jupiter preserve you, Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 11.

Origins

From prō- + habeō (“to have”). Compare Old English forhealdan for the formation.

Descendants
  • Catalanprohibir
  • Englishprohibit
  • Frenchprohiber
  • Italianproibire
  • Occitanproïbir
  • Portugueseproibir
  • Romanianprohibi
  • Spanishprohibir
  • Galicianprohibir
  • Neapolitanproibbirefrom Italian proibire

In English words that came into English from prohibeō

  • prohibitionprohibitiō
  • prohibitprohibeō
  • prohibitiveprohibitīvus

Quick answers

What does prohibeō mean in Latin?
prohibeō, a verb, means “to hold back or before, keep or ward off, restrain; avert; prevent, hinder”.
What are the principal parts of prohibeō?
prohibeō, prohibēre, prohibuī, prohibitum (second conjugation).
How do you pronounce prohibeō?
In classical Latin, [proˈ(ɦ)ɪ.be.oː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [proˈiː.be.o].
Which English words come from prohibeō?
English words that go back to Latin prohibeō include prohibit, prohibition and prohibitive.