disinhibition

American  

[dis-in-i-bish-uhn, -in-hi-, dis-in-] / dɪsˌɪn ɪˈbɪʃ ən, -ˌɪn hɪ-, ˌdɪs ɪn- /

noun

1. Psychology. a temporary loss of inhibition caused by an outside stimulus.

2. Chemistry. removal of an inhibitor.

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disinhibition British  

/ ˌdɪsɪnɪˈbɪʃən, -ɪnhɪ- /

noun

1. psychol a temporary loss of inhibition, caused by an outside stimulus such as alcohol or a drug

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Etymology

Origin of disinhibition

First recorded in 1925–30; dis- ¹ + inhibition

Example Sentences

Perhaps his apparent health problems are causing disinhibition.

From Salon • Dec. 5, 2025

That’s a checklist focusing on the effects of disinhibition and meanness developed by the Canadian psychologist Robert Hare and immortalized in the 2011 book The Psychopath Test, by Jon Ronson.

From Scientific American • Jul. 24, 2023

She is the research director of Take This, a non-profit focused on mental health and gaming, and says that desire to impress along with the "online disinhibition effect" can be a toxic combination.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2023

“Depending on a person’s mental health concerns, artificially increasing their disinhibition in a group setting might not necessarily be a good thing.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2023

“There’s just so much online aggression — aggression because of online disinhibition and the ways that we forget there’s another human being on the other end of the screen.”

From Washington Post • Dec. 16, 2022