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Permit vs Prohibit - What's the difference?

permit | prohibit |

In transitive terms the difference between permit and prohibit

is that permit is to allow (someone) to do something; to give permission to while prohibit is to forbid, disallow, or proscribe officially; to make illegal or illicit.

As verbs the difference between permit and prohibit

is that permit is to hand over, resign (something to someone) while prohibit is to forbid, disallow, or proscribe officially; to make illegal or illicit.

As a noun permit

is formal permission.

permit

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) permitten, from (etyl) permettre, from (etyl) .

Verb

(permitt)
  • * (Joseph Addison) (1672-1719)
  • Let us not aggravate our sorrows, / But to the gods permit the event of things.
  • To allow (something) to happen, to give permission for.
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=Mr. Cooke at once began a tirade against the residents of Asquith for permitting a sandy and generally disgraceful condition of the roads. So roundly did he vituperate the inn management in particular, and with such a loud flow of words, that I trembled lest he should be heard on the veranda.}}
  • * 1930 , "Presbytarians", Time , 19 Dec 1930:
  • Last week the decision on two points was conclusive: the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. will not permit' ordination of women as ministers, but will ' permit their election as ruling elders, permission which makes possible a woman as moderator.
  • To allow (someone) to do something; to give permission to.
  • * 2009 , Patricia Cohen, New York Times , 17 Jan 09, p. 1:
  • He was ultimately cleared, but during that period, Mr. Ackman said, his lawyers would not permit him to defend himself publicly.
  • To allow for, to make something possible.
  • * 2006 , Mary Riddell, "Trident is a Weapon of Mass Destruction", The Observer , 3 Dec 06:
  • What was left to say? Quite a lot, if only parliamentary time permitted .
  • * 2009 , John Mitchell, "Clubs Preview", The Guardian , 25 Jul 09:
  • For snackage there's a 1950s-themed diner plus a barbie on the terrace, weather permitting .
  • To allow, to admit (of).
  • * 1910 , , "Reginald in Russia", Reginald in Russia :
  • ‘You English are always so frivolous,’ said the Princess. ‘In Russia we have too many troubles to permit of our being light-hearted.’
  • * 2007 , Ian Jack, The Guardian , 22 Sep 07:
  • "As an instrument of economic policy, incantation does not permit of minor doubts or scruples."
  • (pronounced like noun) To grant formal authorization for (something).
  • (pronounced like noun) To attempt to obtain or succeed in obtaining formal authorization for (something).
  • Usage notes
    * This is a catenative verb that in the active form takes the gerund (-ing)'', but in passive takes the ''to infinitive . See

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) Formal permission.
  • An artifact or document rendering something allowed or legal.
  • A construction permit can be obtained from the town offices.
    Go over to the park office and get a permit for the
  • 3 shelter.
  • Etymology 2

    An irregular borrowing from (etyl) (m), probably from a Doric variant of (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • A pompano of the species .
  • See also
    * * (Trachinotus) ----

    prohibit

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To forbid, disallow, or proscribe officially; to make illegal or illicit.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-07, author= Ed Pilkington
  • , volume=188, issue=26, page=6, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= ‘Killer robots’ should be banned in advance, UN told , passage=In his submission to the UN, [Christof] Heyns points to the experience of drones. Unmanned aerial vehicles were intended initially only for surveillance, and their use for offensive purposes was prohibited , yet once strategists realised their perceived advantages as a means of carrying out targeted killings, all objections were swept out of the way.}}

    Synonyms

    * forbid * disallow * ban * See also

    Antonyms

    * allow * authorize

    See also

    * interdict * debar * prevent * hinder