/ prəˈhɪbətɪv; NAmE ; NAmE also proʊˈh-/ adjective
1.
( of a price or a cost ) so high that it prevents people from buying sth or doing sth
SYN exorbitant :
prohibitive costs
The price of property in the city is prohibitive.
2.
preventing people from doing sth by law :
prohibitive legislation
► pro·hibi·tive·ly adverb :
Car insurance can be prohibitively expensive for young drivers.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (in sense 2): from French prohibitif , -ive or Latin prohibitivus , from prohibit- kept in check, from the verb prohibere , from pro- in front + habere to hold.