binding

American  

[bahyn-ding] / ˈbaɪn dɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of fastening, securing, uniting, or the like.

2. anything that binds.

3. the covering within which the leaves of a book are bound. bound.

4. a strip of material that protects or decorates the edge of a tablecloth, rug, etc.

5. Skiing. a mechanical device on a ski, usually made of metal, that fastens the boot securely to the ski.

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adjective

1. that binds; restrictive.

2. having power to bind or oblige; obligatory.

   a binding promise.

binding British  

/ ˈbaɪndɪŋ /

noun

1. anything that binds or fastens

2. the covering within which the pages of a book are bound

3. the material or tape used for binding hems, etc

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adjective

1. imposing an obligation or duty

   a binding promise

2. causing hindrance; restrictive

Other Word Forms

• bindingly adverb
• bindingness noun
• nonbinding adjective
• nonbindingly adverb
• nonbindingness noun

Etymology

Origin of binding

Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; bind, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

Their oaths to serving the Constitution and the people of the United States are treated as sacred, binding members to an ideology that leads to action.

From Salon

Once, on a solo trip to the North Pole, he snapped a piece of his ski binding and was forced to abort the entire expedition, writing off a trip that cost more than $200,000.

From The Wall Street Journal

The awards were held on the same day that TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance has signed binding agreements with US and global investors for the majority of its business in America.

From BBC

Speaking to the Belgian parliament Thursday, de Wever said he was open to compromise if Belgium receives tight, binding commitments to ensure that it won’t be left on the hook.

From The Wall Street Journal

"As far as anyone knew, the T cell receptor didn't undergo any conformational changes when binding to these antigens. But we found that it does, springing open like a sort of jack-in-the-box."

From Science Daily

Related Words

• conclusive
• irrevocable
• mandatory
• required