inhibitory

Sometimes in·hib·i·tive

[in-hib-i-tawr-ee]

adjective

1. acting to restrain, hinder, arrest, check, or prohibit an action, impulse, etc..

   These substances are strongly inhibitory for the growth of mycoplasmas and some protozoa.

   Children with weak inhibitory and attentional resources may have great difficulty resisting the influence of marketing.

Other Word Forms

• interinhibitive adjective
• noninhibitive adjective
• noninhibitory adjective
• subinhibitory adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of inhibitory¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; inhibit ( def. ) + -ory ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Normal human consciousness is tied to inhibitory neurotransmitters in the central nervous system called gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA.

From Los Angeles Times

They found that during sleep, both excitatory and inhibitory connections in the brain become weaker, but they do so asymmetrically, making inhibitory connections weaker than excitatory connections, which causes an increase in excitation.

From Science Daily

Digging deeper, she found that the tumor cells have a molecular imbalance: an increased amount of catalytic proteins exceeds the number of inhibitory ones that normally tamp down and localize the former.

From Science Daily

Through transcriptomic analysis, two distinct subpopulations of individuals with schizophrenia were identified, marked by the expression of specific excitatory and inhibitory neuronal cell states.

From Science Daily

The simulated network included key neuron types found in the cortex: one excitatory type and two inhibitory types.

From Science Daily