
tr.v., -it·ed, -it·ing, -its.
- To hold back; restrain. See synonyms at restrain.
- To prohibit; forbid.
- Psychology. To suppress or restrain (behavior, an impulse, or a desire) consciously or unconsciously.
- Chemistry. To prevent or decrease the rate of (a reaction).
- Biology. To decrease, limit, or block the action or function of (an enzyme or organ, for example).
[Middle English inhibiten, to forbid, from Latin inhibēre, inhibit-, to restrain, forbid : in-, in; see in-2 + habēre, to hold.]
inhibitable in·hib'it·a·ble adj.inhibitive in·hib'i·tive or in·hib'i·to'ry (-tôr'ē, -tōr'ē) adj.









