constraint
Americannoun
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limitation or restriction.
- Synonyms:
- pressure, obligation, force
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repression of natural feelings and impulses.
to practice constraint.
-
unnatural restraint in manner, conversation, etc.; embarrassment.
-
something that constrains.
-
the act of constraining.
-
the condition of being constrained. constrain.
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Linguistics. a restriction on the operation of a linguistic rule or the occurrence of a linguistic construction.
noun
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compulsion, force, or restraint
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repression or control of natural feelings or impulses
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a forced unnatural manner; inhibition
-
something that serves to constrain; restrictive condition
social constraints kept him silent
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linguistics any very general restriction on a sentence formation rule
Other Word Forms
- nonconstraint noun
Etymology
Origin of constraint
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English constreinte, from Middle French, noun use of feminine past participle of constreindre “to constrain”; constrain
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While wells themselves are rarely the immediate constraint, analysts say processing plants, pipelines, and storage facilities in the region represent potential chokepoints because they are harder to repair quickly.
From Barron's
While wells themselves are rarely the immediate constraint, analysts say processing plants, pipelines, and storage facilities in the region represent potential chokepoints because they are harder to repair quickly.
From Barron's
While wells themselves are rarely the immediate constraint, analysts say processing plants, pipelines, and storage facilities in the region represent potential chokepoints because they are harder to repair quickly.
From Barron's
While wells themselves are rarely the immediate constraint, analysts say processing plants, pipelines and storage facilities in the region represent potential chokepoints because they are harder to repair quickly.
From Barron's
While wells themselves are rarely the immediate constraint, analysts say processing plants, pipelines and storage facilities in the region represent potential chokepoints because they are harder to repair quickly.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
