lift (END)prohibition,ban, moratorium

President Bush lifted an executive ban on offshore drilling that has stood since his father was president. The move puts pressure on U.S. Democrats to back more exploration for oil and drop a prohibition imposed by Congress.

Bush Acts on Drilling, Challenging Democrats
By STEVEN LEE MYERS and CARL HULSE
President Bush lifted nearly two decades of executive orders banning offshore drilling for oil and natural gas, while a Congressional moratorium on drilling remains in place.

One-Child Policy Lifted for Quake Victims’ Parents
By ANDREW JACOBS
Chinese officials said that parents whose only child was killed or grievously injured in the May 12 earthquake could apply for legal permission to have another child.


lift (END) Show phonetics
verb [T]
to end a rule or law:
The restrictions on water usage have been lifted now that the river levels are normal.
At last they've lifted the ban on jeans at the club.

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ban Show phonetics
verb [T usually passive] -nn-
to forbid, especially officially:
The film was banned (= the government prevented it from being shown) in several countries.
[+ from + ing form of verb] She was banned from driving for two years.

ban Show phonetics
noun [C]
There should be a ban on talking loudly in cinemas (= an order preventing this).

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prohibit Show phonetics
verb
1 [T often passive] to officially forbid something:
Motor vehicles are prohibited from driving in the town centre.
The government introduced a law prohibiting tobacco advertisements on TV.
Parking is strictly prohibited between these gates.

2 [T] to prevent a particular activity by making it impossible:
The loudness of the music prohibits serious conversation in most nightclubs.

prohibition Show phonetics
noun [C or U]
1 when something is officially forbidden, or an order forbidding something:
London Transport has announced a prohibition on smoking on buses.
The environmental group is demanding a complete prohibition against the hunting of whales.
It's my feeling that the money spent on drug prohibition would be better spent on information and education.

2 Prohibition the period from 1920 to 1933 when the production and sale of alcohol was forbidden in the US


moratorium Hide phonetics
noun [C] plural moratoriums or moratoria FORMAL
a stopping of an activity for an agreed amount of time:
a five-year worldwide moratorium on nuclear weapons testing