“Verboten” means forbidden or “not allowed,” especially by a rule, law, or strong social norm.

Basic meaning

  • “Verboten” is an adjective that means something is not permitted, forbidden, or off-limits.
  • It comes from German, where verboten is the past participle of the verb verbieten (“to forbid”).

How it’s used in English

  • In English, “verboten” often sounds a bit dramatic or humorous, like saying “that’s absolutely off-limits.”
  • You’ll see it for both serious rules and lighter social taboos, for example: “Phones are verboten during the exam” or “Talking politics at dinner is totally verboten in this house.”

Nuance and tone

  • Compared with plain “forbidden,” “verboten” can feel slightly stronger or more colorful, hinting at strict or almost taboo-level prohibition.
  • It’s used more in informal or stylistic writing than in legal or official documents, where “prohibited” or “forbidden” is more standard.

Quick examples in sentences

  • “Workplace romances are verboten at this company.”
  • “For migraine sufferers, certain ‘verboten’ foods are back on the menu, according to new research.”

TL;DR: If something is “verboten,” you’re really not supposed to do it—by rule, law, or strong social custom.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.