restrictive
Americanadjective
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tending or serving to restrict.
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of the nature of a restriction.
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expressing or implying restriction or limitation of application, as terms, expressions, etc.
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Grammar. limiting the meaning of a modified element.
a restrictive adjective.
adjective
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restricting or tending to restrict
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grammar denoting a relative clause or phrase that restricts the number of possible referents of its antecedent. The relative clause in Americans who live in New York is restrictive; the relative clause in Americans, who are generally extrovert , is nonrestrictive
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of restrictive
1375–1425; late Middle English < Middle French restrictif < Latin restrict ( us ) ( see restrict) + Middle French -if -ive
Explanation
Restrictive is an adjective that describes something that keeps people within certain boundaries. A household where you aren't allowed to play video-games, watch TV, or eat junk food is restrictive. If you noticed that restrictive is wrapped around the word strict, you're on to something. Strict comes from the Latin stringere, and you can probably guess what that means, right? Well, not "string," actually, but close: "to bind tight," either with string or rope or whatever does the job. The kids in a restrictive household are kept from doing so many things they might as well be tied up.
Vocabulary lists containing restrictive
"Women in Aviation," Vocabulary from the informational text
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Lesson 4
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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.
But since its inception, the system has been more restrictive and worked less efficiently than some schools and athletes might have hoped.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
Al-Shabab had morphed into a powerful, hardline militant group controlling large swathes of the country outside Mogadishu where it imposed a strict form of Islam, including restrictive dress codes and banning music.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
Bypassing censorship Some jurisdictions are more restrictive than others, with many heavily censoring Internet access.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
At the meeting, Fed policymakers "generally judged that the current policy rate was within the range of plausible estimates of its neutral level," meaning one with neither a restrictive nor expansionary effect.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
Anything too restrictive, I put back on the rack.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
