inhibition
the act of inhibiting.
the state of being inhibited.
something that inhibits; constraint.
Psychology.
the blocking or holding back of one psychological process by another.
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.
Physiology.
a restraining, arresting, or checking of the action of an organ or cell.
the reduction of a reflex or other activity as the result of an antagonistic stimulation.
a state created at synapses making them less excitable by other sources of stimulation.
Chemistry. a stoppage or decrease in the rate of action of a chemical reaction.
English Ecclesiastical Law. an order, especially from a bishop, suspending a priest or an incumbent from the performance of duties.
Origin of inhibition
1Other words from inhibition
- in·ter·in·hi·bi·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use inhibition in a sentence
When I first arrived at Duke, hooking up with a stranger seemed like a way to shed my inhibitions.
Random Hook-Ups or Dry Spells: Why Millennials Flunk College Dating | Ellie Schaack | January 1, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTAs the balloons and electricity scared us, inhibitions were naturally lowered and I saw the flirtation begin.
Privately, he had huge inhibitions about hustling, but he fought them down and sweated.
What It Was Like to Watch the Beatles Become the Beatles—Nik Cohn Remembers | Nik Cohn | February 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHumor uncaps our inhibitions, unleashes our energies, seals friendships, patches hurts.
The Obligation to be Interesting: James Wolcott’s “Critical Mass” | William Giraldi | October 24, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTBut after his re-election, he will suffer from no such electoral inhibitions.
Just as—ah—well—I must say that a number of tourists have a tendency to chuck their inhibitions during the rituals.
The Mating of the Moons | Kenneth O'HaraInstantaneous sympathy and the lack of poisonous inhibitions are the outstanding emotional assets of this type.
How to Analyze People on Sight | Elsie Lincoln Benedict and Ralph Paine BenedictI only read in Scripture of two inhibitions—boxing and polygamy.
Quips and Quiddities | William Davenport AdamsGerda and Gerda's friends knew no inhibitions of speech or thought.
Dangerous Ages | Rose MacaulayWhen these inhibitions are partly or entirely removed the secondary sexual characters of the opposite sex may appear.
The Organism as a Whole | Jacques Loeb
British Dictionary definitions for inhibition
/ (ˌɪnɪˈbɪʃən, ˌɪnhɪ-) /
the act of inhibiting or the condition of being inhibited
psychol
a mental state or condition in which the varieties of expression and behaviour of an individual become restricted
the weakening of a learned response usually as a result of extinction or because of the presence of a distracting stimulus
(in psychoanalytical theory) the unconscious restraining of an impulse: See also repression
the process of stopping or retarding a chemical reaction
physiol the suppression of the function or action of an organ or part, as by stimulation of its nerve supply
Church of England an episcopal order suspending an incumbent
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
Scientific definitions for inhibition
[ ĭn′hə-bĭsh′ən ]
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. Compare excitation.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for inhibition
A personal hindrance to activity or expression. For example, fear of contracting cancer might serve as an inhibition against smoking.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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