How to say "inhibitor" in Japanese

• 防止剤ぼうしざい
  nounReally a 'prevention agent': it keeps something unwanted, such as rust or corrosion, from occurring. Use it when 'inhibitor' has this preventive nuance; being less common, it is seldom the choice for other senses.
• 阻害剤そがいざい
  nounThe core scientific sense: an agent that hinders or blocks a chemical reaction or biological process rather than preventing it from starting. This is the 'inhibitor' of biochemical and pharmacological writing.
• 抑制剤よくせいざい
  nounCovers the suppressing senses: a depressant or suppressant that dampens an activity or response, or a retardant that slows a process. A less common word, at home in medical and physiological contexts.

All three are less common equivalents of 'inhibitor'; choose by what the agent does: 防止剤 prevents something unwanted from occurring, 阻害剤 blocks or hinders a reaction or process, and 抑制剤 suppresses or dampens activity.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 防止剤ぼうしざいinhibitor
• 阻害剤そがいざいinhibitor
• 抑制剤よくせいざいinhibitor