- serving or tending to prohibit or forbid something: We will discuss some of the discriminatory, prohibitive legislation that was undone by the Civil Rights Act.
- sufficing to prevent the use, purchase, etc., of something: prohibitive prices.
- having so great a likelihood of success that others vying for the same thing are essentially prevented from succeeding: Political analysts are largely in agreement over who the party’s prohibitive nominee is.
- prohibiting or tending to prohibit
- (esp of prices) tending or designed to discourage sale or purchase
