inhibere

Inhibere is a Latin verb meaning to restrain, hold back, check, or prevent. It is transitive and belongs to the second conjugation; the infinitive is inhibēre. The principal parts are inhibēre, inhibeō, inhibuī, inhibitum. In modern reference works the verb is described as a core example of hindering or stopping an action, impulse, or movement.

Conjugation typically follows the standard second-conjugation pattern. Present active indicative forms include inhibeō, inhibēs, inhibet, inhibēmus, inhibētis, inhibit. Imperfect is inhibēbam, inhibēbās, inhibēbat, inhibēbāmus, inhibēbātis, inhibēbant; future is inhibēbō, inhibēbis, inhibēbit, inhibēbimus, inhibēbitis, inhibēbunt. The perfect active is inhibuī, inhibuistī, inhibuit, inhibuimus, inhibuistis, inhibuērunt. The supine is inhibitūm, and participles include inhibitus, inhibita, inhibitum, used in passive or adjectival constructions.

Usage and nuance: inhibere conveys causing something to be restrained or prevented, whether a person restraining an action, a passion tempering itself, or a process being hindered. It takes a direct object in many contexts (for example, inhibere hostem, to hinder the enemy; inhibere ardorem, to check one’s ardor). It can also appear with indirect constructions or dependent clauses to express prevention or limitation of an event or outcome.

Derivative terms: the verb underlies English inhibit, inhibition, and inhibitory. It also yields the classical noun inhibitio (the act of restraining) and, in modern usage, is seen in scientific terminology as the basis for words like inhibitor.