6

What noun describes the act of forbidding something?

Just as 'permission' means allowing certain activity, is there a noun that states the opposite?

In particular, I'm looking for one that states 'disallowance' (if you allow me to make up this kind of word) a'priori, unlike 'denial', 'refusal', 'rejection', 'refusal', which all apply to a request: Imagine a grassy square where kids like to play soccer, disturbing people in nearby houses. If they ask "Can we play soccer here?" - "No, you can't" is a refusal. A sign on the grass "No playing soccer allowed" doesn't qualify as such though - it's there before intent to play even appears.

Improve this question
1
  • I considered restriction and limitation but those would both imply that there was somewhere where you could play, just that it's not here, or else that you can play here sometimes, or that you can play some games but not football.
    – ClickRick
    Commented Jun 21, 2014 at 20:36

4 Answers 4

Reset to default
9

The closest word that I can think of that has this meaning is prohibition:

If a law or someone in authority prohibits something, they forbid it or make it illegal.

Improve this answer
2
  • 2
    Or in some contexts, ban (noun and verb).
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Jun 21, 2014 at 18:33
  • Or in some contexts, "bar".
    – Michael Kay
    Commented Jun 20, 2018 at 14:11
2

There is also

proscription : a decree that prohibits something

from proscribe

 To prohibit; forbid.

There was virtually no moral or legal proscription against drinking until after the War of Independence. - A Renegade History of the United States

Improve this answer
0

Forbiddance: the act of forbidding. MW, FD, Wiktionary, Reference.com.

Improve this answer
1
  • Accurate, but esoteric: occurs 58 times in GLoWBE, not at all in COCA, and just 10 times in BNC.
    – jimsug
    Commented Jun 21, 2014 at 12:47
0

Impermissible is the closest to the word "permission" itself, though it is not a noun.

Impermissive seems like it could work but it really is the opposite of the word permissive, not permission. The words are related, but do not have the same meaning.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .