Abstract: A photographic coupler capable of releasing a development inhibitor upon reaction with an oxidation product of a color developing agent and represented by the following general formula (I) or (II) ##STR1## wherein A represents a coupler residue; Z represents a sulfur atom, a selenium atom or an oxygen atom; R.sup.1 represents an aliphatic group; R.sup.2 and R.sup.3, which may be the same or different, each represents a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an alkoxy group, a hydroxy group, or an aromatic group, and R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 can combine and represent the atoms necessary to form a benzene ring or a naphthalene ring, ##STR2## wherein A represents a coupler residue; R.sup.4 represents an aliphatic group or an aromatic group; and R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 which may be the same or different, each represents a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group or an aromatic group; and silver halide photographic elements containing these photographic couplers.