inhibition

[ in-i-bish-uh n, in-hi- ]

/ ˌɪn ɪˈbɪʃ ən, ˌɪn hɪ- /

noun

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.

Nearby words

inheritrix, inhesion, inhibin, inhibit, inhibited, inhibition, inhibitor, inhibitory, inhibitory fiber, inhibitory nerve, inhibitory obsession

Origin of inhibition

1350–1400; Middle English inhibicio(u)n < Latin inhibitiōn- (stem of inhibitiō). See inhibit, -ion

Related forms

in·ter·in·hi·bi·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for inhibitions

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|DAILY BEAST
As the balloons and electricity scared us, inhibitions were naturally lowered and I saw the flirtation begin.
All the Grown-Up Hipsters Playing Kids’ Games|Daniel Genis|June 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Humor 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|DAILY BEAST
Iranian culture is all about inhibitions; yet she breathed singularity and boldness.
Iran's Brave Leading Lady|Lila Azam Zanganeh|June 25, 2009|DAILY BEAST

As life goes on, these stored impressions act as inhibitions or stimulations to action, as the case may be.
Crime: Its Cause and Treatment|Clarence Darrow
They are human creatures, erring, broken by passion, mastered by their own inhibitions and doubts and regrets.
Euripedes and His Age|Gilbert Murray
But I know too well the inflexibility of his virtue, he will not see me contrary to the inhibitions I have received.
Munster Village|Mary Hamilton
Brains and nervous systems are so made, that inhibitions are unable to protect in all cases.
Crime: Its Cause and Treatment|Clarence Darrow
He must use preventions, or inhibitions, as the physiologists term them.
Voice Production in Singing and Speaking|Wesley Mills

British Dictionary definitions for inhibitions

inhibition

/ (ˌɪnɪˈbɪʃən, ˌɪnhɪ-) /

noun

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 impulseSee 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

Medicine definitions for inhibitions

inhibition

[ ĭn′hə-bĭsh′ən, ĭn′ə- ]

n.

The act of inhibiting or the state of being inhibited.

Something that restrains, blocks, or suppresses.

The conscious or unconscious restraint of a behavioral process, a desire, or an impulse.

Any of a variety of processes that are associated with the gradual attenuation, masking, and extinction of a previously conditioned response.

The condition in which or the process by which a reaction is inhibited.

The condition in which or the process by which an enzyme is inhibited.

Science definitions for inhibitions

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.

Culture definitions for inhibitions

inhibition

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