inhibit
Americanverb (used with object)
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to restrain, hinder, arrest, or check (an action, impulse, etc.).
- Synonyms:
- obstruct, discourage, repress
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to prohibit; forbid.
- Synonyms:
- interdict
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Psychology. to consciously or unconsciously suppress or restrain (psychologically or sociologically unacceptable behavior).
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Chemistry. to decrease the rate of action of or stop (a chemical reaction).
verb
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to restrain or hinder (an impulse, a desire, etc)
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to prohibit; forbid
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to stop, prevent, or decrease the rate of (a chemical reaction)
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electronics
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to prevent the occurrence of (a particular signal) in a circuit
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to prevent the performance of (a particular operation)
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Usage
What’s the difference between inhibit and prohibit? Prohibit most commonly means to forbid or disallow, but it can also mean what inhibit usually means—to prevent or hinder. Inhibit can also mean to forbid, but this use is much less common.Prohibit is most commonly used in the context of rules, especially official ones like laws. The speed limit prohibits you from going above a certain speed. Parents might prohibit their kids from eating candy before dinner, but the word forbid is more commonly used in cases like this.Inhibit, on the other hand, is usually used in the context of things that prevent or hinder what someone is trying to do. Speed bumps are designed to inhibit speeding. A leg injury can inhibit your ability to walk.The meaning of prohibit and inhibit most often overlaps in cases when something is inhibited to the point of almost not being able to happen at all, as in This cast is designed to prohibit movement (prohibit could be replaced with inhibit in this sentence without much or any change in meaning).The adjective form inhibited is often used to indicate that someone or something is held back from full potential. When it’s applied to a person, it usually involves a mental, emotional, or psychological block, as in I feel less inhibited around my new group of friends—they accept me for who I am.The adjective prohibited describes something that’s forbidden, as in The sign lists all of the prohibited activities. Here’s an example of inhibit and prohibit used correctly in the same sentence.Example: To inhibit the acceleration of climate change, we must prohibit any increase in fossil fuel emissions.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between inhibit and prohibit.
Related Words
See forbid.
Other Word Forms
- inhibitable adjective
- inhibitive adjective
- inhibitory adjective
- overinhibit verb (used with object)
- uninhibiting adjective
Etymology
Origin of inhibit
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English inhibiten, from Latin inhibitus, past participle of inhibēre “to restrain,” equivalent to in- in- 2 + -hibēre, combining form of habēre “to have, hold”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It is a reflex that inhibits critical and intellectually consistent thinking.
From Salon
One of the most important ways to do that is to loosen the anachronistic barriers that unduly inhibit bank innovation, especially when it comes to technological transformations like stablecoins.
From Barron's
Critics had argued this definition was too vague and could inhibit freedom of speech.
From BBC
"She came up with a way to specifically inhibit their activity in the deep ocean," Santoro explained.
From Science Daily
Further experiments confirmed that removing the IRAK4 gene or inhibiting it with drugs produced the same beneficial effects seen with TMA.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
