inhibition

[ in-i-bish-uhn, in-hi- ]

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.

inhibition

/ 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

inhibition

/ 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

inhibition

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

Other Words From

• inter·inhi·bition noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of inhibition¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English inhibicio(u)n, from Latin inhibitiōn-, stem of inhibitiō “prevention, restraint”; equivalent to inhibit + -ion

Example Sentences

And how could anyone resist letting go of pesky inhibitions with Herman’s empowering score filling up Pasadena Playhouse with pure effervescence.

From Los Angeles Times

Speaking to Salon in a recent interview, Purnell explained the intricacies of embodying a character with whom we can simultaneously empathize with and criticize, while also learning how to shed certain gender-based inhibitions.

From Salon

Unwritten, with its ethos of releasing your inhibitions and feeling the rain on your skin, managed to avoid the cringey pitfalls and has become Natasha's most streamed song by far.

From BBC

Callers included nonorgasmic women, premature ejaculators and people with various inhibitions or fetishes.

From Los Angeles Times

A genetic disorder leads to an increase in bioactive lipids in the brain, resulting in an imbalance between excitation and inhibition in neural circuits and promoting mental disorders.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• reticence
• self-consciousness
• shyness