inhibition

[in-i-bish-uh n, in-hi-] /ˌɪn ɪˈbɪʃ ən, ˌɪn hɪ-/
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.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English inhibicio(u)n < Latin inhibitiōn- (stem of inhibitiō). See inhibit, -ion
Related forms
interinhibition, noun
Examples from the web for inhibition
  • The process is called local activation and long-range inhibition.
  • The idea is that if individual neurons are more excitable, they lack inhibition.
  • There is, for example, a temperamental type called behavioral inhibition.
  • But when expressing their ideas and thoughts even in their own language, there is a high degree of inhibition.
  • inhibition of tumor angiogenesis mediated by cartilage.
  • The body strikes a balance between stimulation and inhibition so that normal muscle tone is achieved.
  • But his jokes are broadly satisfying, and he launches his satirical swipes with a delightful lack of inhibition.
  • Normal brain function requires a remarkable balance of stimulation and inhibition.
  • And once they do that, they figure out a way to overcome it, because they don't feel that inhibition.
  • Freed from inhibition as if by magic, the characters switch partners, quit their jobs and vow to be reborn.
British Dictionary definitions for inhibition

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
Word Origin and History for inhibition
n.

late 14c., "formal prohibition; interdiction of legal proceedings by authority;" also, the document setting forth such a prohibition, from Old French inibicion and directly from Latin inhibitionem (nominative inhibitio) "a restraining," from past participle stem of inhibere "to hold in, hold back, keep back," from in- "in, on" (see in- (2)) + habere "to hold" (see habit). Psychological sense of "involuntary check on an expression of an impulse" is from 1876.

inhibition in Medicine

inhibition in·hi·bi·tion (ĭn'hə-bĭsh'ən, ĭn'ə-)
n.

  1. The act of inhibiting or the state of being inhibited.

  2. Something that restrains, blocks, or suppresses.

  3. The conscious or unconscious restraint of a behavioral process, a desire, or an impulse.

  4. Any of a variety of processes that are associated with the gradual attenuation, masking, and extinction of a previously conditioned response.

  5. The condition in which or the process by which a reaction is inhibited.

  6. The condition in which or the process by which an enzyme is inhibited.

inhibition in Science
inhibition
  (ĭn'hə-bĭsh'ən)   
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 in Culture

inhibition definition


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