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inhibition

 - 6 dictionary results

in⋅hi⋅bi⋅tion

  [in-i-bish-uhn, in-hi-]
Use inhibition in a Sentence
–noun
1. the act of inhibiting.
2. the state of being inhibited.
3. something that inhibits; constraint.
4. Psychology.
a. the blocking or holding back of one psychological process by another.
b. 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.
a. a restraining, arresting, or checking of the action of an organ or cell.
b. the reduction of a reflex or other activity as the result of an antagonistic stimulation.
c. 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, esp. from a bishop, suspending a priest or an incumbent from the performance of duties.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME inhibicio(u)n < L inhibitiōn- (s. of inhibitiō). See inhibit, -ion
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To 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. Psychology Conscious or unconscious restraint of a behavioral process, a desire, or an impulse.

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

    2. Biology The condition in which or the process by which an enzyme, for example, is inhibited.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

inhibition

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

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

inhibition 
c.1375, from O.Fr. inibicion, from L. inhibitionem (nom. inhibitio) "a restraining," from stem of inhibere "hold in, restrain, hinder," from in- "in, on" + habere "to hold" (see habit). Psychological sense of "involuntary check on an expression of an impulse" is from 1876.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: in·hi·bi·tion
Pronunciation: "in-(h)&-'bish-&n
Function: noun
: the act or an instance of inhibiting or the state ofbeing inhibited: as a (1) : a stopping or checking of a bodily action : a restraining of the function of an organ or an agent (as a digestive fluid or enzyme)<inhibition of the heartbeat by stimulation of the vagus nerve> <inhibition of plantar reflexes> (2) : interference with or retardation or prevention of a process oractivity <inhibition of bacterial growth> b (1) : a desirable restraint or check upon the free or spontaneous instincts or impulses of an individual guided or directed bythe social and cultural forces of the environment inhibition —C. W. Russell> (2) : a neurotic restraint upon a normal or beneficialimpulse or activity caused by psychological inner conflicts or by sociocultural forces of the environment inhibitions such asinability to think, to concentrate —Muriel Ivimey> <inhibitions, phobias, compulsions, and other neurotic patterns —Psychological Abstracts>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

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.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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