Inhibit vs. Prevent — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on May 16, 2024
Inhibit means to restrain or slow down an action or process, while prevent means to stop something from happening entirely.
Difference Between Inhibit and Prevent
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Inhibit implies a restriction or reduction in the intensity or speed of an action or process. For example, certain chemicals can inhibit the growth of bacteria, meaning they slow down the growth without stopping it completely. Prevent, on the other hand, means to stop something from occurring altogether. For instance, a vaccine can prevent a disease by ensuring it does not occur at all in a vaccinated individual.
Inhibition often involves limiting or reducing the effectiveness of a process or action. For example, anxiety can inhibit someone's ability to perform well in public speaking by reducing their confidence and fluency. Prevention involves taking measures to ensure that an undesired event does not happen in the first place. For example, installing antivirus software on a computer prevents malware infections by blocking threats before they can cause harm.
While inhibit suggests a partial or temporary impediment, prevent indicates a complete and proactive obstruction. For instance, a policy might inhibit certain behaviors by making them more difficult, whereas a law can prevent them by making them illegal.
In a scientific context, inhibitors are substances that slow down chemical reactions, whereas preventatives are measures or substances that completely stop reactions or events from occurring.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Restrain or slow down an action
Stop something from happening
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Intensity
Partial or temporary impediment
Complete obstruction
Example in Biology
Chemicals that inhibit bacterial growth
Vaccines that prevent diseases
Psychological Impact
Anxiety can inhibit performance
Safety measures prevent accidents
Legal/Policy Context
Policies that inhibit certain behaviors
Laws that prevent illegal activities
Scientific Context
Inhibitors slow down chemical reactions
Preventatives stop reactions completely
Compare with Definitions
Inhibit
To prevent from acting freely.
Fear can inhibit a person from taking risks.
Prevent
To hinder or obstruct.
Traffic cones prevent cars from entering the closed road.
Inhibit
To restrain or hold back.
Caffeine can inhibit sleep if consumed late at night.
Prevent
To make impossible.
Effective communication can prevent misunderstandings.
Inhibit
To make someone self-conscious or unable to act naturally.
His shyness inhibits him from speaking in public.
Prevent
To stop something from happening.
Vaccinations prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Inhibit
To reduce the activity or rate of a process.
The drug inhibits the enzyme's activity.
Prevent
To preclude by prior action or measures.
Proper maintenance prevents machinery breakdowns.
Inhibit
To impede or slow down.
Cold temperatures inhibit plant growth.
Prevent
To take action to ensure something does not occur.
Installing smoke alarms helps prevent house fires.
Inhibit
To hold back; restrain
Barricades that inhibited the movement of the crowd.
A lack of knowledge that inhibited his inclination to ask questions.
Prevent
Keep (something) from happening
Action must be taken to prevent further accidents
Inhibit
To cause (a person) to behave in a restrained or self-conscious way
He felt inhibited by the presence of so many famous people.
Prevent
(of God) go before (someone) with spiritual guidance and help.
Inhibit
(Psychology) To suppress or restrain (behavior, an impulse, or a desire) consciously or unconsciously.
Prevent
To keep from happening; avert
Took steps to prevent the strike.
Inhibit
(Chemistry) To prevent or decrease the rate of (a reaction).
Prevent
To keep (a person or thing) from doing something; impede
Prevented us from winning.
Prevented the disease from spreading.
Inhibit
(Biology) To decrease, limit, or block the action or function of (an enzyme or organ, for example).
Prevent
To anticipate or counter in advance.
Inhibit
To prohibit (an ecclesiastic) from performing clerical duties.
Prevent
To come before; precede.
Inhibit
(transitive) To hold in or hold back; to keep in check; restrain.
Inhibit someone's freedom
Inhibit someone's education
Prevent
To present an obstacle
There will be a picnic if nothing prevents.
Inhibit
(Philippines) To recuse.
Prevent
(transitive) To stop (an outcome); to keep from (doing something).
I brush my teeth regularly to prevent tooth decay.
Inhibit
To check; to hold back; to restrain; to hinder.
Their motions also are excited or inhibited . . . by the objects without them.
Prevent
To take preventative measures.
Inhibit
To forbid; to prohibit; to interdict.
All men were inhibited, by proclamation, at the dissolution, so much as to mention a Parliament.
Burial may not be inhibited or denied to any one.
Prevent
To come before; to precede.
Inhibit
To cause the rate of (a chemical or biochemical reaction) to proceed slower, or to halt; as, vitamin C inhibits oxidation; penicillins inhibit bacterial cell wall synthesis.
Prevent
To outdo, surpass.
Inhibit
To restrain (a behavior) by a mechanism involving conscious or unconscious motivations.
Prevent
To be beforehand with; to anticipate.
Inhibit
To put down by force or authority;
Suppress a nascent uprising
Stamp down on littering
Conquer one's desires
Prevent
To go before; to precede; hence, to go before as a guide; to direct.
We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
We pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us.
Then had I come, preventing Sheba's queen.
Inhibit
Limit the range or extent of;
Contact between the young was inhibited by strict social customs
Prevent
To be beforehand with; to anticipate.
Their ready guilt preventing thy commands.
Prevent
To intercept; to hinder; to frustrate; to stop; to thwart.
Perhaps forestalling night prevented them.
Prevent
To come before the usual time.
Strawberries . . . will prevent and come early.
Prevent
Keep from happening or arising; have the effect of preventing;
My sense of tact forbids an honest answer
Prevent
Prevent from doing something or being in a certain state;
We must prevent the cancer from spreading
His snoring kept me from falling asleep
Keep the child from eating the marbles
Common Curiosities
Does prevention imply partial or total stopping?
Prevention implies total stopping of an event or process.
What does it mean to prevent something?
To prevent means to stop something from happening entirely.
How does inhibition work in biology?
Inhibition in biology often involves slowing down or reducing the activity of enzymes or growth of organisms.
What does it mean to inhibit something?
To inhibit means to restrain or slow down an action or process.
Can inhibition stop a process completely?
No, inhibition typically reduces or slows down a process rather than stopping it completely.
How does prevention work in healthcare?
Prevention in healthcare involves measures like vaccinations or hygiene practices to stop diseases from occurring.
Can anxiety inhibit performance?
Yes, anxiety can inhibit performance by making someone self-conscious and less effective.
What is an example of inhibition in daily life?
Fear of failure can inhibit someone from trying new things.
Can laws prevent behaviors?
Yes, laws can prevent behaviors by making them illegal and imposing penalties.
What is an example of prevention in daily life?
Wearing a seatbelt prevents injuries in case of an accident.
Is prevention temporary or permanent?
Prevention aims for a permanent solution to stop an occurrence.
How do inhibitors work in chemistry?
Inhibitors slow down chemical reactions by reducing the activity of reactants.
Is inhibition temporary or permanent?
Inhibition is usually temporary or partial.
How do preventatives work in medicine?
Preventatives, like vaccines, stop diseases by building immunity against them.
Can a measure be both inhibitive and preventive?
Yes, some measures can both inhibit and prevent, such as security systems that deter and block intrusions.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
