restrict
Americanverb (used with object)
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restricts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
restricted,
past participle, past
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restricting
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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restricternoun
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restrictornoun
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derestrictverb (used with object)
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overrestrictverb (used with object)
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prerestrictverb (used with object)
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nonrestrictingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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restrictsimple
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restrictssimple
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have restrictedperfect
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has restrictedperfect
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am restrictingprogressive
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are restrictingprogressive
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is restrictingprogressive
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have been restrictingperfect progressive
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has been restrictingperfect progressive
Past
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restrictedsimple
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had restrictedperfect
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was restrictingprogressive
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were restrictingprogressive
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had been restrictingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of restrict
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin restrictus “drawn back, tightened, bound, reserved,” adjective use of past participle of restringere “to bind back, bind fast”; see restrain
Explanation
To restrict is to limit. If you want to eat more healthily, you might restrict, or limit, yourself to eating only foods containing fruits and vegetables –- like carrot cake and apple pie. You'll often encounter different words related to restrict. A restriction is a law or rule, like the restriction against driving a car without a license. Something that is not permitted is restricted, and this word is often used to designate physical locations that are off limits to the public. You'll often see characters in movies break into restricted areas to obtain secret information.
Vocabulary lists containing restrict
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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List 9
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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.
See Examples For:
Alongside efforts to restrict access and harmful information, the researchers suggest that emergency services could take additional steps to reduce the consequences of sodium nitrite poisoning.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026
A growing number of countries are taking steps to restrict social media access amid multiplying warnings over its harmful effects on children.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Those potential costs led many state Medicaid programs and some health plans to restrict coverage of the drug to the sickest patients.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Speaking after the attack, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he plans to introduce laws that restrict the carrying of firearms in public, with the new legislation only allowing government officials on duty to carry guns.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
But periodic attempts to discipline bribe takers, restrict market activities, force servi-cha vehicles off the road, and confiscate cash were met with widespread resistance.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
The brain has its own specialized immune cells, along with the blood-brain barrier, which restricts many substances and cells from entering brain tissue.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026
The United States restricts exports to China of the most cutting-edge silicon chips used to power artificial intelligence systems, designed by industry leader Nvidia.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Coupang says it restricts its employees to working for under 52 hours and gives sub-contracted drivers the full weekend off every two weeks.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Plus, the Pentagon will start screening servicemembers for low testosterone, and China restricts chatbot romances to boost birthrates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
The “no hair” theorem is of great practical importance, because it so greatly restricts the possible types of black holes.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
German authorities last week found an explosives-laden drone at Leipzig airport, while operations at Hanover airport were disrupted after a drone entered restricted airspace, officials told AFP on Tuesday.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Access to an airline’s top-tier airport lounge may be restricted or not included at all.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
At La Albufera National Park, a protected coastal wetland covering 21,000 hectares south of Valencia, officials have spent the past week turning away or ejecting unauthorized onlookers attempting to enter restricted areas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
But high housing costs for those living in the city are not restricted to August.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
The press had been censored, removed, restricted, rerouted.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Tehran, which has endured years of sanctions, is pushing more of the burden onto households by rationing fuel and electricity, restricting scarce foreign currency and cutting investment while preserving essential imports and state resources.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
"I do not believe restricting access to foreign open source models is an effective solution," he said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
“I do not believe restricting access to foreign open source models is an effective solution. Our goal should be for American open source models to be the best globally,” said Zuckerberg.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
The new rules are expected to include restricting the work and appeal rights of asylum seekers and a ban on visitors applying for family visas.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Geographic isolation might have solved some of the “grey finch” problem—by restricting interbreeding between particular variants.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
