Which definition correctly corresponds to prohibit?

• A. to hinder or impede
• B. to forbid or ban
• C. to officially ban
• D. to restrict access to

Answer: (B)

At heart, prohibit means to forbid or ban something. It carries a formal sense, often seen in rules, regulations, or laws. So the best fit is to say that prohibit means to forbid or ban, which matches the direct meaning. For example, a rule that prohibits smoking in a building clearly forbids it. The idea of hindering or impeding describes slowing someone down or creating obstacles, not the act of declaring something not allowed. The notion of officially banning adds a sense of formality that isn’t required by the basic meaning, while prohibiting can be formal or informal. Likewise, to restrict access to describes limiting who can enter or use something, which can be a consequence of a prohibition but isn’t the verb’s core sense.