plainly prohibited

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "plainly prohibited" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to clearly indicate that something is explicitly not allowed or forbidden. Example: "The use of mobile phones during the exam is plainly prohibited."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Thompson's spending was plainly prohibited by D.C. law, which recognizes that such large donations create a tremendous incentive for corruption.

Huffington Post

The 15th Amendment plainly prohibited racial discrimination in voting, and gave Congress broad authority to enforce this new constitutional command.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

"The Fifa code of ethics plainly prohibits such gifts.

BBC

"Fifa's code of ethics plainly prohibits such gifts," it added.

BBC

The 2007 statute prohibited playing music that was "plainly audible" 25 feed from motor vehicles, or "louder than necessary for convenient hearing".

Huffington Post

While the court found that the necessary-and-proper clause granted Congress broad authority, Marshall set outer limits by writing, "Let the end be legitimate, let it be within the scope of the Constitution, and all means which are appropriate, which are plainly adapted to that end, which are not prohibited, but consistent with the letter and spirit of the Constitution, are constitutional".

The New York Times - Health

"It's not prohibited.

The New York Times

"That's prohibited.

The New Yorker

Dancing should be prohibited.

The New York Times

Strikes were prohibited.

The Guardian

Void where prohibited.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "plainly prohibited" to emphasize that something is explicitly and obviously not allowed, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

Common error

Avoid using "plainly prohibited" when the prohibition is already well-known or self-evident; it can sound redundant. Instead, use it when clarifying a rule or regulation that might not be immediately apparent.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "plainly prohibited" functions as an intensifier (plainly) modifying a verb (prohibited). It indicates a clear and unambiguous prohibition. Ludwig AI confirms the grammatical correctness of the phrase.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Formal & Business

33%

Science

0%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "plainly prohibited" is used to explicitly state that something is obviously not allowed. Ludwig AI confirms that it is grammatically correct and finds examples in news and media, and formal business contexts. Alternatives include "clearly forbidden" or "expressly forbidden". Use the phrase when emphasizing a prohibition, but avoid redundancy when the prohibition is already obvious. Be aware that this expression can be particularly useful in legal and official contexts to prevent confusion.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

clearly forbidden

Replaces 'plainly' with 'clearly', maintaining the meaning of something being obviously not allowed.

expressly forbidden

Substitutes 'plainly' with 'expressly', emphasizing the explicit nature of the prohibition.

strictly prohibited

Replaces 'plainly' with 'strictly', highlighting the severity of the prohibition.

patently unlawful

Changes the structure to use 'patently' as an adverb modifying 'unlawful', indicating obvious illegality.

outright banned

Uses 'outright' to emphasize the complete and unconditional nature of the ban.

categorically disallowed

Substitutes 'plainly' with 'categorically' and 'prohibited' with 'disallowed', indicating a firm and unconditional rejection.

explicitly restricted

Replaces 'prohibited' with 'restricted' to soften the strength and 'plainly' with 'explicitly'.

unambiguously banned

Uses 'unambiguously' to reinforce the clarity and lack of confusion regarding the ban.

absolutely forbidden

Emphasizes that something is 'absolutely' not allowed. More informal.

completely outlawed

Changes the verb to 'outlawed', emphasizing the illegality of the action.

FAQs

What does "plainly prohibited" mean?

The phrase "plainly prohibited" means something is obviously and explicitly not allowed or forbidden. There is no room for misinterpretation.

What can I say instead of "plainly prohibited"?

You can use alternatives like "clearly forbidden", "expressly forbidden", or "strictly prohibited" depending on the context.

How to use "plainly prohibited" in a sentence?

For example: "Thompson's spending was "plainly prohibited" by D.C. law." Use the phrase to explicitly state that an action or behavior is forbidden by a rule, law, or code.

Is "plainly prohibited" formal or informal?

"Plainly prohibited" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts, although it's often found in more formal settings like legal documents or official statements due to its direct and unambiguous nature.