Forbiddenness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The state of being disallowed under specific regulations or rules
2. The characteristic of being not permitted in certain situations or environments
3. The condition of something not allowed by rules or laws

Etymology: "Forbiddenness" is a plain compound: the adjective "forbidden" with the suffix "-ness", which turns an adjective into a noun for a quality or state. "Forbidden" is itself the past participle of "forbid", a verb that goes back to Old English "forbēodan", meaning to command against or to prohibit, built from "for-", a prefix meaning "against" or "away", and "bēodan", to command or bid. So the word names the condition of being prohibited, the quality that makes something off limits. The suffix "-ness" is among the oldest and most productive noun-forming endings in English, and it attaches readily to participles and adjectives of nearly any origin. That productivity explains why "forbiddenness" can be formed on demand, even though it is far less common than its close relative "forbidden" itself, which is the form people usually reach for.

Synonyms: prohibition, ban, interdict, taboo, restriction

Antonyms: allowance, permission, consent, authorization, freedom