confined
Americanadjective
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limited or restricted.
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unable to leave a place because of illness, imprisonment, etc.
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being in childbirth; being in parturition.
adjective
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enclosed or restricted; limited
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in childbed; undergoing childbirth
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of confined
Explanation
The adjective confined describes a space that is cramped or small and constricted. You probably don't see any claustrophobic vampires because if they were claustrophobic, they'd have a fear of confined spaces — like their coffins. The adjective confined describes being in captivity or not free to move about. If you do charity work, you could read books to older people confined to their homes. You could move your confined arms better if you just took off a few layers of clothes; you really don't need three sweaters, a vest, and a coat in 40 degree weather — even if you are from Arizona.
Vocabulary lists containing confined
Our Town
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"Efrén Divided" by Ernesto Cisneros, Chapters 1–5
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CTE Construction ("Core Curriculum: Introductory Craft Skills,") Vocabulary from Module One
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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.
Perhaps most important, the essays insist that leadership isn’t confined to the glitzy triumphs of the Oval Office.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026
According to the health ministry, the Ebola outbreak is currently confined to three provinces - Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu.
From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026
When police opened the roll-up door, they found 21 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels confined inside, several of which were pregnant.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2026
Scientists had long believed that microglia remain confined to the brain and do not cross the blood brain barrier, unlike many other immune cells that circulate through the bloodstream.
From Science Daily • Jun. 12, 2026
On vacation at Caloundra every year I was confined to the shallows, sitting on the sand while the water splashed over my lap.
From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge
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.
