What does inhibition mean?
Inhibition refers to the act or process of restraining, slowing, or preventing something from happening. It can describe a general limitation on behavior, such as social inhibition, where a person hesitates to speak or act because of embarrassment, fear, or self-consciousness. In biology and medicine, inhibition has a more technical meaning: one substance, cell, or mechanism reduces the activity of another, as when a drug inhibits the growth of bacteria or neurons inhibit one another’s signaling. In law, inhibition can refer to a legal restriction on conduct. The word is useful because it identifies not only a prohibition but also any force that moderates or holds back an action. Its meaning ranges from ordinary psychological restraint to precisely characterized scientific mechanisms, while always sharing the central idea of reducing or stopping activity.
nounThe process or state of preventing or reducing a process, activity, or response. In psychology and biology, it can also refer to a mechanism or tendency that restrains behavior or activity.
- The act of preventing, slowing, or restraining a process or behavior.
- A psychological or social tendency to inhibit impulses, expressions, or actions.
- A biological mechanism that reduces or stops the activity of a cell, tissue, or organ.
- A legal or regulatory restriction that prevents an activity.
"The drug works by inhibiting the growth of the bacteria that causes the infection."
"Fear of public speaking can produce enough inhibition to make it difficult to begin a presentation."
"The medication causes inhibition of excessive nerve activity in the affected area."
The plural is used for separate restraints, inhibitions, or psychological barriers.
"Despite his initial inhibitions, he soon began speaking confidently to the group."
Inhibition is the biological brake: without it, nerve cells could fire continuously and the body could quickly lose control.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does inhibition come from?
Inhibition comes from the Latin noun inhibitio, meaning “a stopping” or “prohibition,” and is formed from inhibere, “to hold back, prevent, or inhibit.” The English word has been used since the early 17th century in senses connected with restraint, prohibition, and the suppression of action. Related English forms include inhibit, inhibitor, and inhibitory, while cognate prohibition was formed from the related Latin verb prohibere.
Related word forms
How inhibition is actually used
The word is common in academic, scientific, psychological, and legal contexts. In everyday speech, it is often used more broadly to mean any restraint on action or behavior.
Easily confused with inhibition
Inhibition is the act of restraining or slowing something, whereas prohibition is the act of forbidding it.
Inhibition restrains or reduces an activity, while suppression usually means ending or preventing something from occurring, often through deliberate action.