uninhibited

/ˈʌnənˌhɪbɪdɪd/

/ənɪnˈhɪbɪtɪd/

Other forms: uninhibitedly

The prefix "un-" means "not," making the meaning of uninhibited "not inhibited, not restrained or holding back." Someone who is uninhibited is not afraid to act however he or she wishes.

Uninhibited is the opposite of inhibited, from the Latin inhibēre, "to prohibit or hinder." In the late 19th century the word took on a new importance to psychologists, describing a person not afraid to express emotions, even in public. The following quote from writer Norman Podhoretz gives a contextual definition: "Creativity represents a miraculous coming together of the uninhibited energy of the child with its apparent opposite and enemy, the sense of order imposed on the disciplined adult intelligence."

Definitions of uninhibited

1. adjective

   not inhibited or restrained
   “uninhibited exuberance”

   synonyms:

   abandoned

   free from constraint

   earthy

   hearty and lusty

   unrepressed

   not repressed

   unsuppressed

   given vent to

   unreserved

   not cautious or reticent

   unrestrained

   not subject to restraint

   antonyms:

   inhibited

   held back or restrained or prevented

   pent-up, repressed

   characterized by or showing the suppression of impulses or emotions

   smothered, stifled, strangled, suppressed

   held in check or kept back with difficulty

   reserved

   marked by self-restraint and reticence

   restrained

   under restraint