inhibit

[in-hib-it]

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verb (used with object)

to restrain, hinder, arrest, or check (an action, impulse, etc.).
to prohibit; forbid.
Psychology. to consciously or unconsciously suppress or restrain (psychologically or sociologically unacceptable behavior).

Chemistry. to decrease the rate of action of or stop (a chemical reaction).

Origin of inhibit

1425–75; late Middle English inhibiten < Latin inhibitus, past participle of inhibēre to restrain, equivalent to in- in-² + -hibēre, combining form of habēre to have, hold

Related formsin·hib·it·a·ble, adjectivein·hib·i·to·ry

[in-hib-i-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] /ɪnˈhɪb ɪˈtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/, in·hib·i·tive, adjectivein·ter·in·hib·i·tive, adjectivenon·in·hib·i·tive, adjectivenon·in·hib·i·to·ry, adjectiveo·ver·in·hib·it, verb (used with object)sub·in·hib·i·to·ry, adjectiveun·in·hib·it·ing, adjective

Synonyms for inhibit

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1. repress, discourage, obstruct. 2. interdict. See forbid.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for inhibiting

hinder, obstruct, discourage, prohibit, forbid, suppress, outlaw, stymie, restrain, curb, impede, constrain, hog-tie, cramp, bar, avert, withhold, faze, bit, stop

Examples from the Web for inhibiting

Contemporary Examples of inhibiting

The high price of the Tesla Model S—about $60,000—is inhibiting more widespread adoption.
Are We at the Electric Car’s Tipping Point?
Daniel Gross
June 1, 2013
Uncertainty over the TPC's future is inhibiting new investment.
Mitt Romney's Iowa Problem
Daniel Gross
November 6, 2012

Historical Examples of inhibiting

Suppose the orthodoxies and superstitions succeed in inhibiting me.
A Far Country, Complete
Winston Churchill
This cause he seems to find in the inhibiting effects of extreme temperatures upon development.
The Organism as a Whole
Jacques Loeb
Those that act directly upon the bacteria in milk, restraining or inhibiting their development.
Outlines of Dairy Bacteriology, 8th edition
H. L. Russell
The nervous shock had thrown the stomach out of order, inhibiting the secretion of gastric juice.
Nervous Breakdowns and How to Avoid Them
Charles David Musgrove
Evolution has taken place through the steady loss of inhibiting factors.
A Critique of the Theory of Evolution
Thomas Hunt Morgan

British Dictionary definitions for inhibiting

inhibit

verb -its, -iting or -ited (tr)

to restrain or hinder (an impulse, a desire, etc)
to prohibit; forbid
to stop, prevent, or decrease the rate of (a chemical reaction)
electronics
1. to prevent the occurrence of (a particular signal) in a circuit
2. to prevent the performance of (a particular operation)

Derived Formsinhibitable, adjectiveinhibitive or inhibitory, adjective

Word Origin for inhibit

C15: from Latin inhibēre to restrain, from in- ² + habēre to have

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for inhibiting

inhibit

early 15c., "to forbid, prohibit," back-formation from inhibition or else from Latin inhibitus, past participle of inhibere "to hold in, hold back, keep back" (see inhibition). Psychological sense (1876) is from earlier, softened meaning of "restrain, check, hinder" (1530s). Related: Inhibited; inhibiting.

inhibiting in Medicine

inhibit

[ĭn-hĭb′ĭt]

To hold back; restrain.
To suppress or restrain a behavioral process, an impulse, or a desire consciously or unconsciously.
To prevent or decrease the rate of a chemical reaction.
To decrease, limit, or block the action or function of something in the body, as an enzyme or organ.

Related formsin•hib′i•to′ry (-tôr′ē) adj.