Area-selective atomic layer deposition (AS-ALD) of thin films is considered as a promising approach to reduce the manufacturing costs of integrated devices and continue their miniaturization. In this work, the ALD growth of ZnO is studied using a polymeric inhibiting layer deposited by initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). It is shown that poly(neopentyl methacrylate) [P(npMA)] is a very good inhibiting layer for ALD growth of zinc oxide from diethylzinc and water. For example, 12 nm of P(npMA) permit us to inhibit up to 100 nm of ZnO. The need for a minimum polymer thickness due to possible diffusion of the precursor in the polymer layer is also highlighted. Finally, our work shows that the same iCVD polymer can also inhibit the ALD growth of SnO2. This work paves the way for the realization of AS-ALD of transparent conducting oxide using a full vacuum-based approach. © 2022 Author(s).