had been disallowed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been disallowed" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something was not permitted or allowed in the past. Example: "The proposal had been disallowed due to budget constraints."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

Coptis was outraged that "In Cold Blood" had been disallowed because Capote was gay.

The New Yorker

At halftime, DelDuca received a message lamenting the header goal by Luca Toni that had been disallowed because of an offsides call.

The New York Times - Sports

Within four years of signing his treaty, which had been disallowed by the governor of New South Wales, Batman died, at age 38; his financial affairs were in disarray, and prolonged litigation over his will destroyed the estate he had created.

Britannica

It was obvious that vast swathes of evidence and testimony had been disallowed before we even showed up.

Huffington Post

Simon then said that their planned use of pyrotechnics had been disallowed, and told the crowd, "Let's have our own fireworks!" Many spectators sparked lighters.

Wikipedia

United equalised in injury-time through Giggs, who converted a Beckham cross: a Teddy Sheringham goal a few minutes earlier had been disallowed.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

The crucial third goal could have been disallowed.

The Economist

They reversed the Dawson goal which would never have been disallowed in a league game.

The Guardian - Sport

"They scored a goal which should have been disallowed but that doesn't give me any reason to criticise.

Independent

In addition, ethylene bromide's use as a soil fumigant for agriculture has been disallowed in the United States.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Hundreds of millions of dollars in tax losses in these deals have been disallowed for Gramercy's clients.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had been disallowed" when you need to emphasize that something was previously considered but ultimately rejected or not permitted. It's especially useful when describing past events or decisions.

Common error

Avoid using "had been disallowed" interchangeably with simpler phrases like "was not allowed" if you want to emphasize the process of evaluation and subsequent rejection. The former carries a nuance of formal disapproval.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been disallowed" functions as a passive perfect construction, indicating that an action of disallowing was completed before a specific point in the past. The Examples Ludwig provides demonstrate its use in various contexts to show something was not permitted.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

42%

Wiki

29%

Encyclopedias

14%

Less common in

Academia

14%

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had been disallowed" is a grammatically sound passive perfect construction used to convey that something was previously rejected or not permitted. As demonstrated by the examples in Ludwig, it is often found in news, encyclopedic and wiki contexts. It holds a neutral register. While not the most frequent expression, Ludwig AI confirms it is acceptable, serving to effectively communicate a prior denial or lack of authorization. Alternatives include "was not allowed" and "was prohibited". "Had been disallowed" is best used when emphasis is needed that something was previously considered but ultimately rejected.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was not allowed

Simple substitution of 'disallowed' with a more common synonym, maintaining the original tense and voice.

was prohibited

Replaces 'disallowed' with a stronger synonym, indicating a more formal ban.

was rejected

Focuses on the act of refusal or non-acceptance, rather than a formal prohibition.

was vetoed

Implies that the action was blocked by someone with authority to do so.

was ruled out

Suggests that something was deemed impossible or inappropriate.

was turned down

Indicates a rejection of a proposal or request.

was deemed unacceptable

Highlights the reason for disallowance—that something did not meet required standards.

was not sanctioned

Emphasizes the lack of official approval or endorsement.

was invalidated

Suggests the action had no legal or legitimate effect.

was overturned

Implies that a previous decision or ruling was reversed.

FAQs

How can I use "had been disallowed" in a sentence?

You can use "had been disallowed" to indicate that something was not permitted or allowed in the past. For example: "The proposal "had been disallowed" due to budget constraints."

What's a formal alternative to "had been disallowed"?

A more formal alternative could be "had been prohibited", which implies a stricter, often legal, form of disallowance.

Is "had been disallowed" the same as "was disallowed"?

While similar, "had been disallowed" implies a completed action in the past relative to another past event, whereas "was disallowed" simply states that something was not allowed at some point in the past.

Can "had been disallowed" be used in present tense?

No, "had been disallowed" is past perfect tense, so it refers to a past action. To use it in the present, you'd need a different construction, such as "is disallowed".