inhibition

American  

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

noun

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

• interinhibition noun

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

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

Her lack of inhibition causes social order to collapse; outside the cinema, the reaction was just as intense.

From BBC • Dec. 28, 2025

“This is a material de-risking event for Bayer’s pipeline, validating FXIa inhibition as a differentiated anticoagulation approach,” said analysts at Jefferies.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 24, 2025

A large study that’s testing the preventive power of Merck’s pill won’t report for a couple more years, but Amgen’s study shows that PCSK9 inhibition works.

From Barron's • Nov. 10, 2025

Will people have fewer conditioned hallucinations when the visual cue is red and will the corresponding brain activity changes be more concentrated in areas linked more with inhibition or with sound perception?

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2025

Barley has the further advantage that its genetics and morphology permit it to evolve quickly the useful changes in seed dispersal and germination inhibition that we discussed in the preceding chapter.

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

Related Words

• reticence
• self-consciousness
• shyness