Definition of "inhibit" []

• To hold back; restrain. See Synonyms at restrain. (verb-transitive)
• To prohibit; forbid. (verb-transitive)
• Psychology To suppress or restrain (behavior, an impulse, or a desire) consciously or unconsciously. (verb-transitive)
• Chemistry To prevent or decrease the rate of (a reaction). (verb-transitive)
• Biology To decrease, limit, or block the action or function of (an enzyme or organ, for example). (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Therefore he decides that although the First Amendment forbids Congress to abridge political speech, that proscription is somehow superseded by Congress's right to, in Breyer's words, "inhibit" some "speech opportunities" in the name of fine-tuning "a democratic conversation.""
• "As used herein, "inhibit" or "treat" or "treatment" includes a postponement of development of the symptoms associated with autoimmune disease or pathogen-induced immunopathology and/or"
• "It added that the tie-up would have the potential to 'inhibit' the editorial and scheduling flexibility of both the BBC and ITV network."