restriction

American  

[ri-strik-shuhn] / rɪˈstrɪk ʃən /

noun

• restrictions
  plural

1. 

   something that restricts; a restrictive condition or regulation; limitation.

   Synonyms:

   restraint, reservation, provision, rule

2. the act of restricting.

3. the state of being restricted.

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restriction British  

/ rɪˈstrɪkʃən /

noun

1. something that restricts; a restrictive measure, law, etc

2. the act of restricting or the state of being restricted

3. logic maths a condition that imposes a constraint on the possible values of a variable or on the domain of arguments of a function

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonrestriction
  noun
• overrestriction
  noun
• prerestriction
  noun
• restrictionist
  noun
• self-restriction
  noun
• superrestriction
  noun
• prorestriction
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• restrictions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of restriction

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Late Latin restrictiōn-, stem of restrictiō; equivalent to restrict + -ion

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Explanation

A restriction is a limitation or a restraint, like when a size restriction keeps you from jumping on a toddler trampoline and bouncing the smaller kids a mile up in the air. Usually a restriction is in place because a limit needs to be set. Common sense would keep you from putting a bowling ball in a paper bag; you wouldn’t need a restriction to tell you not to do it. Sometimes a restriction is the result of doing something bad or misusing a privilege, as when your parents put a restriction on video gaming to limit your time in front of the TV.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

restriction restrictions

The research suggests it can lead to modest weight loss, but studies generally find it doesn’t work any better than normal calorie restriction.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

But a sudden speed restriction for drones connected to Starlink means some of battlefield "missions" have been disrupted, according to a top Ukrainian official.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

He said this restriction "led to the disruption of a number of missions" and deprived Ukraine of its ability to fight Russian jet-powered drones.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

“Our defense forces received no warning about this restriction, and it has led to the disruption of a number of missions.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

If we continued to disappoint him, he warned us, we’d be put on restriction and forbidden to leave the Academy at night.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

“If that is what happened here, the critical question is why authentication safeguards, access restrictions, and monitoring systems failed to detect and stop the unauthorized activity.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

The resident's bank account was frozen following concerns about spending, but Burwood attempted to have restrictions lifted and took the resident to a bank branch.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Ukraine said this week, as Operation Vivaldi concluded, that the system had restrictions imposed without warning, limiting their capability.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

The difference: more security features with fewer restrictions on offensive wartime use.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

The boundaries of Texas are set without restrictions on slavery, and the U.S. government takes responsibility for Texas’s debt.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

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Related Words

• check
• condition
• constraint
• control
• curb
• limit
• regulation
• restraint
• rule
• stipulation
• stricture

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