inhibition
n. C / Un. a feeling of worry or embarrassment that stops you from acting naturally. It can also mean the process of slowing down or stopping a physical reaction.
n. a feeling of self-consciousness or mental restraint that prevents an individual from acting according to their impulses. In a biological or chemical context, refers to the slowing or prevention of a process or reaction.
The music helped everyone lose their inhibition and start dancing.
Alcohol often lowers a person's social inhibition, making them more likely to say things they would usually keep private.
The drug works through the competitive inhibition of specific enzymes, effectively blocking the chemical signals that trigger a pain response in the central nervous system.
From Middle English inhibicioun, inhibicione from Old French inibicion, from Latin inhibitio. Morphologically inhibit + -ion.
Often used in the plural ('inhibitions') when referring to social or psychological restraints, but singular in technical or scientific contexts.