View synonyms for

inhibition

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

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the act of inhibiting.
the state of being inhibited.
something that inhibits; constraint.
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.
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.
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.

inhibition

/ ˌɪnɪˈbɪʃən, ˌɪnhɪ- /

noun

the act of inhibiting or the condition of being inhibited
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
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

inhibition

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

inhibition

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

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Other Word Forms

interinhibition noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of inhibition¹

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

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Will people have fewer conditioned hallucinations when the visual cue is red and will the corresponding brain activity changes be more concentrated in areas linked more with inhibition or with sound perception?

From

That competitive drive overcame any potential inhibitions he might have felt about performing while "wearing sparkles or Cuban heels".

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He told The Times that his career in the editorial world encouraged him to move past certain creative inhibitions, which would later serve him in filmmaking, specifically for “Bonnie and Clyde.”

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The word “rabid” may be a stretch, but let’s just say they expressed themselves with little or no inhibition, much like the crew that invaded and ransacked the U.S.

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“One of the places is in the gym. When you’re on that bike in your shorts, panting away next to a Republican, a lot of the inhibitions come off.”

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Related Words

reticence��
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inhibited inhibitor

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