inhibition
UK[ˌɪnɪˈbɪʃn]US[ˌɪnɪˈbɪʃn]
n
A feeling that makes one self-conscious and unable to act in a relaxed and natural way.
n
The action of inhibiting, restricting, or hindering a process or action.
n
The conscious or unconscious restraint of a behavioral process, desire, or impulse.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
hibit
ion
in
in, on
hibit
hold, have
ion
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'inhibition' originates from Latin inhibitio, from the verb inhibere, meaning "to hold in, restrain, check". This verb is a compound of the prefix in- (in, on) and habēre (to have, to hold). The core semantic logic is of holding something within bounds or preventing it from proceeding. In the 15th century, it entered English with the legal and general sense of "prohibition". Its psychological meaning, referring to the restraint of an instinctive or learned behavior, developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, influenced by the work of Sigmund Freud and the field of psychoanalysis, thereby evolving from a physical act of holding back to an internal, often subconscious, mental restraint.
Analysis
Structure: in (in, on) + hibit (hold, have) + ion (noun suffix)
- in: Latin prefix meaning "in, on, into, against".
- hibit: From Latin root habēre (to have, to hold), appearing in English as -hibit.
- ion: Latin suffix forming nouns denoting action or condition.
Examples
He lost his inhibition after a couple of drinks and started dancing on the table.
The drug works by the inhibition of an enzyme crucial for the virus's replication.
Her natural inhibition made it difficult for her to speak in front of large audiences.