inhibition

American  

[in-i-bish-uhn, in-hi-] / ˌɪn ɪˈbɪʃ ən, ˌɪn hɪ- /

noun

• inhibitions
  plural

1. the act of inhibiting.

2. the state of being inhibited.

3. something that inhibits; constraint.

4. Psychology.

   1. the blocking or holding back of one psychological process by another.

   2. inappropriate conscious or unconscious restraint or suppression of behavior, as sexual behavior, often due to guilt or fear produced by past punishment, or sometimes considered a dispositional trait.

5. Physiology.

   1. a restraining, arresting, or checking of the action of an organ or cell.

   2. the reduction of a reflex or other activity as the result of an antagonistic stimulation.

   3. a state created at synapses making them less excitable by other sources of stimulation.

6. Chemistry. a stoppage or decrease in the rate of action of a chemical reaction.

7. English Ecclesiastical Law. an order, especially from a bishop, suspending a priest or an incumbent from the performance of duties.

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inhibition British  

/ ˌɪnɪˈbɪʃən, ˌɪnhɪ- /

noun

1. the act of inhibiting or the condition of being inhibited

2. psychol

   1. a mental state or condition in which the varieties of expression and behaviour of an individual become restricted

   2. the weakening of a learned response usually as a result of extinction or because of the presence of a distracting stimulus

   3. (in psychoanalytical theory) the unconscious restraining of an impulse See also repression

3. the process of stopping or retarding a chemical reaction

4. physiol the suppression of the function or action of an organ or part, as by stimulation of its nerve supply

5. Church of England an episcopal order suspending an incumbent

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inhibition Scientific  

/ ĭn′hə-bĭsh′ən /

1. The blocking or limiting of the activity of an organ, tissue, or cell of the body, caused by the action of a nerve or neuron or by the release of a substance such as a hormone or neurotransmitter.

2. Compare excitation

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inhibition Cultural  

1. A personal hindrance to activity or expression. For example, fear of contracting cancer might serve as an inhibition against smoking.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interinhibition
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• inhibitions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of inhibition

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English inhibicio(u)n, from Latin inhibitiōn-, stem of inhibitiō “prevention, restraint”; equivalent to inhibit + -ion

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Explanation

When you have inhibitions, you're self-conscious and maybe a little anxious. A shy child at a birthday party might have fun only after abandoning her inhibitions and joining a game of musical chairs. An inhibition is a force that prevents something from happening—and often comes from you yourself. Shy people are often said to suffer from inhibitions. Some inhibitions are good, such as the one that prevents us from choking the life out of people we dislike. Other inhibitions, like the ones that prevent someone from ever enjoying himself, are not so great.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

inhibition inhibitions

Blau, Bhutani and other coauthors are inventors on patent applications held by Stanford University involving 15-PGDH inhibition for cartilage and tissue rejuvenation.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

Through inhibition, the brain was seen as the self’s control center: the source of our ability not just to see, for instance, but to focus, to pay attention.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

It added that more people treated with ziltivekimab had serious infections, but that was consistent with aiming for IL-6 inhibition.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026

“I can be more daring in English. I can say the words or verbalize the thoughts with much less inhibition, because I am not as emotionally attached,” he explains.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

Thus, farmers selected from among individual plants on the basis not only of perceptible qualities like size and taste, but also of invisible features like seed dispersal mechanisms, germination inhibition, and reproductive biology.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

He concludes his account with the most radical abolitionist of all, John Brown, who had little patience for the inhibitions of the Bostonians.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2025

And how could anyone resist letting go of pesky inhibitions with Herman’s empowering score filling up Pasadena Playhouse with pure effervescence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2024

Speaking to Salon in a recent interview, Purnell explained the intricacies of embodying a character with whom we can simultaneously empathize with and criticize, while also learning how to shed certain gender-based inhibitions.

From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2024

Before, at school, I had these social inhibitions.

From BBC ● May 23, 2024

This time, I let go of the inhibitions, the safeguards I’ve taught myself to always hold up.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

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Related Words

• reticence
• self-consciousness
• shyness

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