Skip to main content
prohibitor

prohibitor

1 7.7
A person or thing that stops something from happening
  • noun
  • /prəˈhɪbɪtər/
translation icon : inhibidor
  • Growth is the greatest prohibitor of staleness.

Growth is the greatest prohibitor of staleness.

Examples

  • The teacher acted as a prohibitor by stopping the students from using their phones during the exam.

  • Storm Shadow nerve prohibitors injected.

  • While the traits of exterior and athlete are worship facilitators, the trait of wealth is a prohibitor.

    Academic text (2007)
  • While the traits of exterior and athlete are worship facilitators, the wealth trait is a prohibitor.

    Academic text (2007)
  • Regulation serves as a prohibitor that limits the emissions of harmful pollutants from factories.

  • Her decision to leave early became a prohibitor for the team to complete their presentation on time.

Synonyms

restriction
vsprohibitor
340 3.0

A rule or action that limits what you can do

focuses more on the agent who forbids or prevents rather than the rule
bar
vsprohibitor
  • Formal
335 6.1

An official rule that prevents someone from doing something

is the person or thing that may create or enforce such restrictions
prevention
vsprohibitor
221 2.4

Stopping something harmful from happening

is the agent that carries out or causes that stopping
restraint
vsprohibitor
73 4.7

Something used to hold a person or animal still

is more general, including non-physical or informal prevention
deterrent
vsprohibitor
66 6.6

Something that makes people less likely to do something, often by fear of punishment

prevents more directly rather than only discouraging by influence
prohibition
vsprohibitor
  • Formal
48 4.4

An official rule that stops people from doing something

refers instead to the person or thing that causes such bans
hindrance
vsprohibitor
21 5.7

A thing that makes it difficult to do something, like an injury or traffic

can instead forbid outright rather than merely making things harder
disruptor
vsprohibitor
  • Specialized
19 7.2

A device that stops another machine or system from working

prevents actions more generally rather than only disrupting systems
repression
vsprohibitor
11 7.2

Using power to stop people's actions and feelings

is the actor that causes such subduing or holding back
banning
vsprohibitor
8 3.9

Making something not allowed by law or officials

may be done by various agents, not only formal authorities
preventer
vsprohibitor
3 3.8

Something that stops or reduces the chance of harm

acts similarly but often with explicit forbidding authority
inhibition
vsprohibitor
  • Formal
3 5.8

A rule or law that stops something from happening

refers to the agent causing that act rather than the act itself
repressor
vsprohibitor
  • Specialized
1 9.0

A substance, gene, or protein that attaches to DNA to stop a gene from working

is a general stopper of actions or events beyond biological contexts
restrictor
vsprohibitor
1 6.3

A law or rule that limits access and activity

is broader, covering direct forbidding as well as simple limits
disallowance
vsprohibitor
  • Formal
1 7.2

An official decision not to accept a claim, for example a tax expense

can be enacted by a person or thing rather than just a decision
suppressor
vsprohibitor
  • Specialized
1 8.0

A person who uses force or authority to stop people, information and actions

may prevent similarly but does not always imply forceful suppression
rejector
vsprohibitor
1 5.7

A person or machine that removes things judged unwanted

acts to prevent or forbid but may be less active at enforcing
obstructor
vsprohibitor
8.1

A person who stops or delays other people's actions on purpose

works like this but may use rules to forbid rather than block
obstructer
vsprohibitor
5.8

Someone or something that blocks progress

focuses more on forbidding or preventing by rule or choice
interdictor
vsprohibitor
  • Formal
9.7

An official who bans activities by law or religion

is similar but can be any person or thing causing the stop
forbiddance
vsprohibitor
  • Formal
8.3

An official order not to do something

is the agent that creates or enforces that forbidding
excluder
vsprohibitor
6.2

A person or thing that keeps others out

covers that role but also forbids actions more generally
obviator
vsprohibitor
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who opposes a plan to stop it happening

serves the same preventing role but in common modern terms
represser
vsprohibitor
  • Specialized
9.8

A person or thing that stops actions, feelings and genes from working

is the agent that prevents or forbids rather than the mechanism
suppresser
vsprohibitor
8.7

A person who stops people from saying or sharing ideas and facts

is broader, covering any person or thing that prevents or forbids
restrainer
vsprohibitor
7.2

A person who holds people back to keep order

can include that restraint but also formal forbidding actions
blockader
vsprohibitor
7.4

A thing placed across a road or entrance to stop people entering and vehicles passing

may play that blocking role but also forbids actions without a device
arrestor
vsprohibitor
  • Specialized
6.1

A device that stops or slows moving parts to keep people safe

can be that kind of stopper but also forbids by rule or authority
arrester
vsprohibitor
  • Specialized
6.5

A device that stops movement or limits flow in machines and electrical systems

is any agent that prevents or forbids beyond mechanical stopping

Antonyms

11 4.6

Something that helps people or groups succeed

How Preventive

prohibitor
1 7.7
barrier
309 3.7
inhibitor
  • Specialized
46 6.0
obstacle
343 3.4
stopper
9 5.3
hindrance
21 5.7

Surface Forms

prohibitor singular
prohibitors plural

Morphology

prohibitor = prohibit (transparent) = prohibit + or

The noun is formed regularly from 'prohibit' with '-or' to mean a person or thing that prohibits.

Etymology

Prohibitor comes from the Latin word prohibere, made of pro- meaning 'away' and habere meaning 'to hold', so it originally meant 'to hold away' or 'keep off'. Think of a hand or a fence holding something back; that's why a prohibitor is someone or something that stops or forbids an action.