constrain
Americanverb (used with object)
-
constrains,
present (3rd person singular)
-
constrained,
past participle, past
-
constraining
present participle
verb
-
to compel or force, esp by persuasion, circumstances, etc; oblige
-
to restrain by or as if by force; confine
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
constrainernoun
-
constrainableadjective
-
nonconstrainingadjective
-
unconstrainableadjective
-
unconstrainingadjective
-
constraininglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
constrainsimple
-
constrainssimple
-
have constrainedperfect
-
has constrainedperfect
-
am constrainingprogressive
-
are constrainingprogressive
-
is constrainingprogressive
-
have been constrainingperfect progressive
-
has been constrainingperfect progressive
Past
-
constrainedsimple
-
had constrainedperfect
-
was constrainingprogressive
-
were constrainingprogressive
-
had been constrainingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of constrain
1275–1325; Middle English constrei ( g ) nen < Anglo-French, Middle French constrei ( g ) n- (stem of constreindre ) < Latin constringere. See con-, strain 1
Explanation
To constrain is to hold back, restrain, or confine. If you've ever had to constrain a toddler in the middle of a temper tantrum, you know you have to watch out for flailing limbs. The verb constrain comes from the Latin word constringere, which means to bind together or tie tightly. Constrain can imply both literal and figurative bindings. You can constrain someone by physically holding on to something like a person's shirt. Or, you can figuratively constrain someone by putting up obstacles. Your teenagers, for example, may feel constrained by your rules and accuse you of sucking the fun out of their social lives.
Vocabulary lists containing constrain
Just Mercy
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Excerpt from "The Declaration of Independence"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Essential English Vocabulary, List 3
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Stanton writes in a note that the Integro CI sound processor from Sonova-owned Advanced Bionics could modestly constrain Australia-listed Cochlear’s share of processor upgrades and new system wins in selected European markets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
"Weak gravitational lensing can constrain mass much further out, so you can get a better picture of the surrounding cluster area," said Finner.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
“You don’t want to get into a situation where you constrain your own products in the years to come because you were giving away the compute forever,” Johnsen added.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
However, persistent digital-talent shortages, uneven connectivity and the widening gap in AI adoption between developed and emerging economies are likely to constrain adoption, BMI says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Few rules constrain the exercise of his or her discretion.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
It also constrains certain theories involving extra spatial dimensions.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
"Economic interdependence, in this sense, constrains the scope for coordinated measures as these would impose significant commercial costs or provoke direct economic retaliation from China."
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
“The current debt overhang constrains external financing, limits public investment capacity and prevents full re-engagement with the international financial system,” the office of Venezuela’s vice presidency for the economy said in a statement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
Mark Joseph Stern: Because Congress did something that was long overdue—it wrote a statute that tightly constrains the executive branch.
From Slate ● Dec. 22, 2025
A striking example of Bloor’s inability to acknowledge that nature constrains science is to be found on p.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Rather than being primarily controlled by environmental conditions, crayfish growth may be constrained by the animals' own biology.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
The unwelcome trajectory for mortgage rates overshadows some positive news for home buyers: the recovery in housing supply, which has been constrained over the past few years.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
Global supplies were further constrained by Ukraine’s increasingly successful attacks on Russian refineries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
"However, our ability to achieve significant reductions in energy usage is constrained by the nature of our estate," she said.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
The “How d’ye do’s” were quiet and constrained on each side.
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
“Rising attacks on tankers in and around the Strait of Hormuz are again constraining oil flows from the Persian Gulf,” the analysts add.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
He added that “when people hand off tasks to agents, more calls and texts can be made as a person’s attention & time are no longer constraining factors.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
This leads to people constraining their budgets early in retirement, and dying with even more money than they started with at the beginning of retirement.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
"Ever since the 2011 magnitude 9.0 Tohoku-oki earthquake in Japan, we realized that the tsunami data had really valuable information for constraining shallow slip," said Melgar.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026
It was clear that a way had to be found to capture the profits of laboratory discoveries without undermining academic standards or constraining scientific inquiry.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
