was prohibited to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "was prohibited to" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically used to indicate that someone was not allowed to do something, but the correct form is "was prohibited from." Example: "He was prohibited from entering the building after hours."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

20 human-written examples

Most of them understood the prohibition was prohibited to damage (29%), followed by to cut (19%), to take (13%), and others.

Procedia Environmental Sciences

So only 15% of you thought it was prohibited to turn the trolley in the case of bystander.

Yale University

Whereas 78% of you thought it was prohibited to have the trolley hit the fat man in that version of the scenario.

Yale University

But within one year I was prohibited to read any more by my doctor, since I was afflicted with an eye disease.

Encyclopedia Britannica

While scripts frequently called for aristocratic characters nobles or samurai it was prohibited to imitate the dress of either of these classes.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The front page of the Flatbush Jewish Journal went as far as to say that it was "prohibited to vote for Lew Fidler" because he "wants to teach same-gender marriage to 6-year-old children".

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

40 human-written examples

LONDON — "It should be prohibited to say which is the best player in the world.

The New York Times - Sports

They lived in the hospitals, were on call every other night and were prohibited to marry.

The New York Times - Health

§ 570.33 Occupations that are prohibited to minors 14 and 15 years of age.

Cornell University

"In this country, it's prohibited to dissent," Mr. Mata said.

The New York Times

And then there are certain places you're prohibited to drive to (places that I, of course, wanted access to).

Yale University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "was prohibited from" instead of "was prohibited to". The preposition "from" correctly connects the prohibition with the action being restricted. For example: "He was prohibited from entering the building."

Common error

Avoid using "to" after "prohibited". The correct construction is "prohibited from". Using "to" creates a grammatically incorrect sentence. For example: It is incorrect to say "He was prohibited to enter the building".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "was prohibited to" functions as a passive construction indicating that someone or something is forbidden from performing a specific action. As noted by Ludwig AI, this phrasing is grammatically incorrect; the correct construction is "was prohibited from".

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Academia

30%

Science

25%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "was prohibited to" appears in various sources, including news, academic papers, and scientific articles, it is grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI confirms that the correct form is "was prohibited from". Therefore, it's crucial to use the correct preposition "from" to ensure grammatical accuracy and avoid miscommunication. Despite its frequency, prioritize grammatical correctness by opting for "was prohibited from" or alternative phrases such as "was not allowed to" or "was forbidden from".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was forbidden from

Uses a different preposition, 'from', to correctly express prohibition.

was not allowed to

Expresses prohibition using a more common and straightforward construction.

was not permitted to

Uses "permitted" in the negative to convey the lack of authorization.

was restricted from

Replaces "prohibited" with "restricted", indicating a limitation.

was banned from

Substitutes "prohibited" with the stronger term "banned", implying a formal prohibition.

was prevented from

Focuses on the act of stopping someone from doing something.

was barred from

Implies a more forceful or official exclusion.

was ineligible to

Indicates a lack of qualification or suitability, implying prohibition.

had no right to

Expresses prohibition in terms of lacking entitlement.

was out of bounds for

Indicates that something was beyond acceptable limits.

FAQs

What is the correct way to use the word "prohibited" in a sentence?

The correct way is to use "prohibited from" followed by a verb in the -ing form (gerund). For example, "He was prohibited from smoking in the building."

What can I say instead of "was prohibited to"?

You can use alternatives like "was forbidden from", "was not allowed to", or "was banned from" depending on the context.

Is "was prohibited to" grammatically correct?

No, "was prohibited to" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "was prohibited from."

What's the difference between "was prohibited to" and "was prohibited from"?

"Was prohibited to" is grammatically incorrect, while "was prohibited from" is the correct way to express that someone was not allowed to do something.